A child in New York City has become sick with the enterovirus D68, the first confirmed case in the city since the respiratory disease began to spread last month, health authorities said Wednesday.
There have been more than a dozen confirmed cases throughout the state, including the capital region and Central New York, said a New York State Department of Health spokesman. Testing for the disease can take up to a week, the spokesman said.
The virus causes mild to severe respiratory problems, including fever, a cough and difficulty breathing or wheezing, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It mainly affects children and is spread when someone through coughing, sneezing or touching.
From mid-August to through Wednesday there were 140 reported cases of enterovirus D68 in 16 states, including New York and Pennsylvania, according to the CDC.
Like many viruses, there is no antibiotic treatment or a vaccine. September is the middle of the enterovirus season.
