Local doctor discusses warning signs after Enterovirus D-68 detected in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning about an increase in children getting sick from a serious respiratory infection.

It’s not the flu or COVID-19 — it’s called Enterovirus D-68.

The CDC warns it can lead to a rare neurologic complication that causes weakness in the arms and legs and in some cases, paralysis.

In most cases, doctors say its symptoms mirror those of the common cold, like runny nose, cough, sneezing, body aches and fever. But that makes it tricky to diagnose.

The average age of children affected is three and kids with asthma may be at higher risk. Here’s what parents need to watch out for if their child is sick.

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“If you noticed anything out of the ordinary about the way they are moving or breathing, that’s absolutely a time to call your pediatrician,” UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s pediatric infectious disease physician Dr. Megan Culler Freeman said.

NBC News reports the illness has been detected in Pittsburgh, but it’s not clear how many cases there have been.

Enterovirus D-68 is not a new infection. In fact, it tends to emerge in late summer and early fall.

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According to UPMC, there’s no vaccine to prevent it or antiviral medications to treat it if you catch it.

It can spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes or touches a surface that is then touched by someone else.

Doctors say adults can get this illness too. You can protect your family and yourself from this illness by washing your hands and disinfecting surfaces.

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