At least 10 states have requested assistance from the Center for Disease Control in investigating a respiratory virus that has already caused hundreds of children to seek treatment, CNN reported. Mark Pallansch, a virologist and director of the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases, told CNN that what has been reported could be “just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases.”
At this point, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma have contacted the CDC. There is no vaccine available for the enterovirus, which is called EV-D68. Experts say hand washing and proper hand hygiene at school are essential in preventing the virus from spreading.