Enterovirus D-68 kills another child in Michigan on Friday afternoon, marking the incident as the second death from said infection in the United States.
Madeline Reid, a 21-month old patient from Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, dies after a nearly month-long struggle from the infection. According to earlier reports, the toddler patient has been on a life-support and was admitted to the health facility on Sept. 21. During her admission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed that the child is really infected with the virus.
The baby from Michigan's death due to the infection is the second to be recorded in the country. The first death was that of a four year-old boy from New Jersey, after contracting the infection earlier this month. Although Enterovirus is reportedly common in the United States, with CDC estimates 10 to 15 million cases each year, the D-68 strain of the virus is said to be pernicious and is targeting children.
The specific strain can be possibly tolerated by the adults; however, younger members of the population, which include infants and toddlers still do not have the capacity to combat the illness. Initial symptoms for the Enterovirus D-68 are like that of a simple flu, but it could later on progress and affect the child's normal breathing and cause muscle weakness or paralysis. The treatment for the Enterovirus D-68 infection is made even more complicated, because there is still no known cure or vaccine that could protect the child from acquiring the illness, which could lead to death.
While health officials are still trying to come up with a possible solution that could combat the infection, which reportedly began in mid-August, they also advise people to take necessary precautions. In order to prevent the spread of Enterovirus D-68, precautionary measures such as proper hand washing, covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing and staying at home when the child is sick are advised to prevent the spread of infection.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
