While the families of five children in Pennsylvania and 10 children in Colorado wait to learn about a possible connection between a virus and their child’s muscle weakness or paralysis, less-severe cases in North Dakota and Minnesota appear to be on the decline.
Hundreds nationwide, nearly all of them children, have in recent weeks been sickened and hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness caused by enterovirus D68.
In a few cases, including the clusters in Colorado and Pennsylvania, the children developed weakness or paralysis in their arms or legs.
Some but not all of those children tested positive for EV-D68.
Despite the presence of the virus in North Dakota and Minnesota, there have been no cases involving paralysis.
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“We’ve had no neurological cases and no deaths,” said Jill Baber, an epidemiologist at the North Dakota Department of Health.
“We’re also seeing fewer requests for tests, so it (the virus) might be dying down a bit,” she said.
The same is true across the Red River.
“The situation in Minnesota seems to be on the wane,” said Doug Schultz, health information officer at the Minnesota Department of Health.
The increased surveillance has turned up an interesting blip on the radar for Baber, who is also the state’s influenza coordinator.
It’s pointing to what may be a quick start to the flu season in the area.
EV-D68 in ND, Minnesota
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from mid-August to Oct. 8, a total of 664 people in 45 states were confirmed to have respiratory illness caused by EV-D68.
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CDC says the virus was found in five patients who died, but it’s not clear yet what role the virus played in their deaths.
Minnesota’s first case of EV-D68 was confirmed on Sept. 18 and North Dakota’s first case was confirmed five days later.
Schultz said Minnesota doesn’t count the number of enterovirus cases because it’s not a “reportable” illness.
He said there are about 100 types of enterovirus and only a small portion of those are EV-D68.
While the North Dakota Health Department also doesn’t track EV-D68 cases, it has received reports of nine cases so far in Stutsman, Burleigh and Morton counties.
Baber said most of those children have asthma, or are generally “sicker” kids to begin with.
She said while they were hospitalized for breathing trouble, none developed weakness or paralysis, and all have since recovered.
The state is still waiting on results for additional specimens.
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Baber said while initial test results came back quickly, there’s now a backlog at CDC because experts there are focusing on the paralytic cases.
Flu season underway
With the onset of respiratory illnesses comes the start of influenza season, and North Dakota seems to be off to an early one.
As of Oct. 9, the state recorded 15 influenza cases. Baber said normally by this date, only one or two influenza tests are positive.
The cases in Cass, Dickey, Walsh, Bowman and Burleigh counties mostly involved people ages 60 and older. Already, there’s been a flu outbreak reported at a long-term care facility in Bowman County.
All 15 influenza cases were in women. Baber thinks that’s just a fluke due to the small total number.
The quick start could be a sign of a bad flu season to come, or could simply be due to the fact that people tested for EV-D68 are also being tested for influenza.
“The thing that makes me slightly uncomfortable is, I don’t know yet,” Baber said.
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