Thousands of American children have a rare respiratory virus

About 1,000 children in at least 10 states in the US must be hospitalized due to a rare respiratory virus.

There are currently 10 states contacting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for sampling, including Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

Since the first case appeared in mid-August, Colorado Children's Hospital in Aurora has received 900 children with similar symptoms. A hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, has treated more than 300 cases, 15% of them have special care.

Many children have severe symptoms after hospitalization. There have been no reported deaths but the number of hospitalized children has increased rapidly. Experts are concerned that this is just the "floating part of the iceberg and everything may be more serious" , the disease is at risk of spreading throughout the country.

The patient is being treated at the Hospital.(Photo: wyff4)

This rare virus is called Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) , which causes cold-like symptoms such as runny nose, fever, cough and usually resolves after 7-10 days. However, the condition can quickly change, leading to severe dyspnea leading to a risk of death. This virus was discovered in 1962, from 1987 to 2005 only 26 cases were reported worldwide. This is also what makes experts worry because they do not understand why the disease is booming today.

According to doctors, the majority of EV-D68 is not life-threatening but needs to be closely monitored to prevent respiratory complications. There is no vaccine available or antiretroviral or a specific treatment. The patient was given medication to treat asthma, oxygen and infusion when needed.

The US Department of Health warns that it can reduce the risk of infection with Enterovirus D68 by washing hands frequently and properly. The virus is relatively healthy, can live on surfaces for a long time, so it is necessary to regularly disinfect public surfaces such as countertops and door handles to avoid spreading germs.