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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued an alert for enterovirus D68 after a massive spike in cases over the summer. The CDC said it received more reports about the virus between July and August than it did over the past three years.
Symptoms of EV-D68 include a runny nose, sneezing, cough, body aches, and muscle aches. More severe symptoms include wheezing and difficulty breathing.
While EV-D68 primarily causes acute respiratory illness in children, it has also been associated with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare neurologic complication that causes inflammation in the neck and spinal cord. In addition, it can cause muscle weakness and loss of motion in the arms. In rare cases, it can lead to paralysis.
Most people never fully recover from AFM, though some patients can see an improvement in their symptoms after undergoing rehabilitation.
While the CDC noted it has not seen an increase in AFM cases, they usually show up a few months later.
"However, increases in EV-D68 respiratory illnesses have typically preceded cases of AFM, indicating that increased vigilance for AFM in the coming weeks will be essential," the CDC explained.
The CDC advised parents to contact a healthcare provider if their children have trouble breathing or a sudden onset of limb weakness. The agency also told healthcare providers to start testing patients with rhinovirus or enterovirus for EV-D86.