What is Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68)?
Enteroviruses are very common viruses. There are more than 100 types of enteroviruses. It is estimated that 10 to 15 million enterovirus infections occur in the United States each year. Most enterovirus infections in the U.S. occur seasonally during the summer and fall. In fact, enteroviruses are the second most frequent cause of “the common cold.”
EV-D68 infections occur much less often than other enterovirus strains, but like other strains, EV-D68 spreads through close contact with infected people. EV-D68 starts out like the common cold but can quickly turn serious – especially in children with asthma. This is a lung virus that causes mild to severe respiratory illness.