NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and New Haven schools Superintendent Garth Harries today held an informational briefing highlighting what parents and health care providers need to know about the respiratory virus Enterovirus68. They were joined by Dr. Paul Aronson, a physician in the Children's Emergency Department of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, and Ann Somsel, New Haven Public Schools’ Director of School Nursing.

“People need to take all the normal precautions they would take against the flu or any other virus,” DeLauro said at the event. “This is not a cause for panic, but we are seeing higher incidents of Enterovirus this year and it can be particularly dangerous for children with asthma. So people need to have the facts and the tools to recognize the symptoms. I want to urge people to take all the normal precautions they would take against the flu or any other virus.  If your children have trouble breathing or severe symptoms, contact a health professional.”

Since mid-August, over 150 people in at least 20 states have gotten ill from Enterovirus, including at least one case in Connecticut. The patient in the one reported Connecticut case was treated at Yale-New Haven hospital and released.

Symptoms typically include: fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. Patients who become very ill may have difficulty breathing. Infants, children and teenagers are the most likely to become ill, due to a lack of natural immunity. Physicians recommend using over-the-counter pain and fever medications and contacting your doctor or a health clinic if an individual is having trouble breathing

Medical experts recommend taking the same precautions that you would take against the flu, such as: washing hands frequently with soap and water; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands; and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, like toys or doorknobs, if someone in your household is sick.


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