NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Centers for Disease Control confirmed two cases of enterovirus D68 in Tennessee on Wednesday.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, one patient lives in west Tennessee and the other in east Tennessee.
Both are young children who were hospitalized for their illnesses but have since been released and are at home doing well.
“As expected, Tennessee has been impacted by enterovirus D68 as have most other states this fall,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH.
“This is cold and flu season, and simple measures like washing your hands and not touching your face are important ways to help protect against germs like EV-D68 that can’t be prevented with vaccine,” said Dreyzehner. “This is also an excellent time to get your flu shot to protect yourself and people around you from flu.”
Enterovirus D68 is one of more than 60 types of enterovirus that causes cold-like symptoms.
TDH said some 10 to 15 million infections occur annually in the United States, with most occurring during the summer and fall when children return to school.
Infants, children and teenagers are more likely to contract an enterovirus than are adults. Most of the infections are mild but in some cases may lead to hospitalization.