From California to Maine, a fast-growing virus swept across America in 2014, infecting almost 1,000 children and causing 11 deaths. While this disease has been around since the early 1960s, not much was known about Enterovirus D68 until last year’s large outbreak that terrified parents and caused widespread panic.

What Is Enterovirus D68?

There are more than a hundred different kinds of enteroviruses that infect 10 to 15 million people annually. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is just one kind of these common viruses. Most enteroviruses are not serious and most often affect the gastrointestinal tract, leading to stomach flu and diarrhea. EV-D68 is similar to the human rhinovirus, which typically affects the respiratory tract and causes the common cold.

Most of the cases reported last year affected children between the ages of 6 months to 16 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a high number of cases hovering around ages 4 and 5. While EV-D68 is not uncommon, last year’s strain hit children with a history of breathing problems particularly hard.

According to Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, more than half of the children (ages 6 months to 16 years old) hospitalized for enterovirus had asthma or a history of breathing difficulties.

Symptoms of EV-D68

Fortunately, most children who develop D68 have mild to moderate symptoms that are similar to the everyday common cold and last about seven days. These include:

·         Runny nose

·         Cough