Mass. hospitals see rise in respiratory illnesses

Mass. hospitals see rise in respiratory illnesses

THE BOSTON GLOBE

Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield are seeing an uptick in respiratory illnesses in young children, raising suspicions that an unusual virus spreading from the Midwest might have arrived in Massachusetts.

No cases of enterovirus D68 have been confirmed. Massachusetts health officials are awaiting results of tests sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Enterovirus D68 was identified in 1962, but was rare until this year. Between mid-August and Thursday, 153 cases were confirmed in 18 states, including Connecticut and New York.

No one has died, and most people have mild symptoms like a cold: runny nose, sneezing, cough, and sometimes fever and body aches. But some children, especially those with asthma, develop difficulty breathing, occasionally bad enough to need hospitalization.


Though it is not a sure thing, the illnesses he has seen have "all the hallmarks" of enterovirus D68, said Dr. Bernard Kinane, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Mass. General.

Kinane said that other hospitals in Boston have also seen more respiratory illnesses, but Mass. General seems to be "the vanguard of the uptick," which started about 10 days ago.

Asked if the illnesses worried him, Kinane said: "No, it's reminiscent of a flu season for us. It doesn't worry me as much as the flu. "It doesn't seem to have severe complications."

About a week ago, doctors at Baystate Medical Center started seeing a surge in youngsters, mostly ages 2 to 6, coming to the emergency room with respiratory symptoms, about 35 percent to 60 percent more than at this time last year, Dr. Michael Klatte, an infectious disease specialist, said at a press conference. Most were treated in the emergency room and sent home.