The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has verified 500 cases of the child-specific Enterovirus D-68 in 42 states, including California, in the country as of Oct. 1.

Enterovirus D-68 is a respiratory disease that usually infects children who have asthma. It is a mutation of a common cold, and may cause the host difficulty in breathing. If this is the case, the host is then brought to the hospital and assisted with a respirator.

Mild symptoms of the virus include fevers, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, body and muscle aches, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC. In serious cases, the victim can be paralyzed.

“On October 2, two cases of E-D68 [were] verified in Alameda County,” Nott said. “Since it takes a little over 2 weeks to run the test to verify the virus, I think we can expect to see more cases in the future.”

According to KTVU San Francisco News, five cases of enterovirus D-68 have been detected in the Bay Area, four of which involve children.

This type of enterovirus was discovered in 1962 in California, but since then, the outbreak now is the first time it has spread all over the country. The first infections found in California were three children from San Diego. In Los Angeles, a child who was diagnosed with the enterovirus D-68 had partial paralysis due to the infection.

“There are now confirmed cases of young patients dying from this virus as well,” said Upper School biology teacher Dr. Gary Blickenstaff.

This virus mainly affects children ranging from toddlers to young teenagers.

“It is all the more concerning because it affects children almost exclusively,” said Debra Nott, the Director of Nursing, in an email interview. “This would indicate the adult population has already had this virus at some point and has maintained immunity to it.”

Unlike some other viruses, enterovirus D-68 has no vaccines. Dr. Blickenstaff suggested some ways for students to avoid coming into contact with this virus.

“Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds,” he said. “Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.”

Mrs. Nott recommends that students be aware of their surroundings if they begin to notice symptoms of this virus.

“One more important component is to consider your Harker community and stay home when you are contagious,” she said. “No matter how important you think your upcoming test may be, it’s not worth making several of your classmates sick by coming to school when you have a fever.”

Enterovirus D-68 is continuing to spread throughout the state of California and the Bay Area, and as of now, there are no vaccines to protect children from this virus.

This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on October 17, 2014.