The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that 12 samples from Utah tested positive for enterovirus, confirming officials’ concerns that the virus has spread to the state.
Enterovirus, an uncommon but aggressive respiratory virus that is cousins with the common cold, began hospitalizing children in the Midwest in August. Since then, the CDC has confirmed 220 cases across 32 states, but there may be far more cases that so far remain untested and unreported.
This strain of enterovirus is notable for the severity and rapid progression of symptoms, according to Dr. Steve Rich, a pediatrician with Wellsprings Pediatrics and Mountain West Medical Center.
Infection begins with symptoms that resemble the common cold — such as fever, runny nose, sneezing and coughing — and progresses to wheezing and trouble breathing within 24 hours, Rich said. Children ages 6 months to 18 years of age are considered the most susceptible to the virus.
Mountain West has seen about 20 patients with similar symptoms, and roughly half of those were hospitalized to receive oxygen, though the virus is not known to be fatal. Two patients have been transferred to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake for more advanced care.
None of the suspected cases in Tooele County have been confirmed by the CDC. However, Becky Trigg, director of marketing for Mountain West Medical Center, said the hospital plans to institute some preventative measures to ensure the virus does not spread to hospital patients.
Trigg said the hospital was planning to put up red lines to restrict which patients children ages 12 and under may visit.
“It will be similar to our regular flu season policy restrictions we put in place each year,” she said in an email. “It will just be earlier than usual.”