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Two Cases of Enterovirus D68 Confirmed in Wyoming

The Centers for Disease Control have confirmed two cases of Enterovirus D68 in Wyoming.

The cases are in Campbell County and Lincoln County.

Enteroviruses are common, and this subtype is not new.  Recently, though, D68 has spread from the Midwest to other parts of the country. The D68 subtype can be associated with respiratory tract infection. 

It mostly affects children. 

Wyoming Department of Health representative Kim Deti says that she knows of no deaths from D-68, and symptoms can range from mild to severe. “The symptoms are very common to what we see with a lot of different respiratory illnesses,” she says.  “So that’s things like fever, definitely runny noses, sneezing, coughing, aches, and in more severe cases with this one they are seeing wheezing and shortness of  breath.”

The virus can also cause children with asthma to have asthma attacks.

Deti says common sense precautions, like “Washing your hands with soap and water,” can help prevent the illness.  “Don’t touch your eyes, your nose, your mouth, when your hands aren’t clean.  Avoid kissing and having really close contact with people who are sick.  And if someone else in the home is ill or around the office really clean frequently touched surfaces.”

Deti says it is common for children to become ill with respiratory illnesses like Enterovirus D-68.

Erin Jones is Wyoming Public Radio's cultural affairs producer, as well as the host and senior producer of HumaNature. She began her audio career as an intern in the Wyoming Public Radio newsroom, and has reported on issues ranging from wild horse euthanization programs to the future of liberal arts in universities. Her audio work has been featured on WHYY Philadelphia’s The Pulse and the podcast Out There.