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Sen. Schumer: Help needed to stem the spread of EV-D68

Sen. Charles Schumer Sunday called for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide help to school nurses and administrators to identify students suffering from enterovirus D68 and to provide New York State labs with more test supplies and personnel to help stem its spread.

Schumer also urged the CDC to do more to encourage health professionals to report cases.

Since mid-August through last Friday, there have been 160 confirmed cases of EV-D68 — including one in NYC.

In most people, EV-D68 manifests as a typical respiratory illness, but infants and children are particularly susceptible, and the virus can be especially hazardous to people with asthma.