The enterovirus sweeping through the nation may be more serious than previously thought, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking into cases in Colorado where children had the respiratory illness and later developed neurological conditions.
There have been 443 confirmed cases of people — all of whom are children — with the enterovirus, EV-D68, in 40 states.
While no deaths have been tied to the illness, the CDC is working with the Colorado health department to investigate at least 10 cases of children who had a respiratory virus and then developed limb weakness or paralysis, according to Reuters. Of the 10, four tested positive for EV-D68, but all 10 had some form of enterovirus or rhinovirus.
"It's obviously not just D68 in and of itself," Larry Wolk, MD, CMO of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, told Reuters. "The question is, is there something else that ties these 10 cases together?"
The CDC has provided guidance for hospitals dealing with EV-D68.