Enterovirus D68 strikes kids across country

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Enterovirus has already been officially linked to at least one death and dozens of illnesses around the country.

Gown, gloves and mask. Visitors and staff are in full protective gear every time they enter Elijah Sempasa's room in an Illinois hospital.

"His asthma started acting up. Breathing a lot faster, wheezing. You could hear it in his chest," said Elijah's mother, Christina Sempasa.

"Even healthy children are getting sicker than we often see them become," said Dr. Erika Hayes, a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

Lab tests confirmed rhinovirus - the common cold - but along with enterovirus D68. It was first identified in the '60s in California, but now it's making a troubling comeback around the country.

"This particular virus may have some ability to basically make children sicker that we don't fully understand yet," said Hayes.

Doctors say all kids, but especially those with asthma, should be watched for symptoms: difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and lethargy. Enterovirus also causes stomach upset.

Like a cold, there is no specific treatment for enterovirus, so prevention is key. Remind your child to wash their hands vigorously for the amount of time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice, use hand sanitizers and cough into your elbow, not your hands, to avoid spreading viruses.

"Kids play. They touch things. They're not as aware," Christina Sempasa said.

After five days of fluids and rest, Elijah is recovering, back to beating mom at video games and ready to go home.

Doctors say parents should not panic if their child contracts enterovirus D68. They also say limb paralysis is extremely rare and may not be caused by the virus.