By Andrew Shepherd

Sask. chief medical health officer: Enterovirus D-68 not an epidemic

Sep 16, 2014 | 4:29 PM

 A respiratory virus that has hospitalized hundreds of kids in the States is moving closer to Saskatchewan.

There are now 18 cases of Enterovirus D-68 in Alberta with testing being done on possible cases in Windsor, Ontario.

Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer says this should not be classified as an epidemic; hospitalizations in the U.S. are spread out between many states.

“If we were to see it even hit hard, it may mean a few additional children and each community or regional health authority requiring further care,” said Dr. Saqib Shahab. He explained health regions are already prepared for the virus. There are no specific, additional preparedness measures needed for Enterovirus and it can treated similar to the common cold.

There are stories from the U.S. of children requiring breathing tubes after coming down with the virus. Dr. Shahab said although that sounds scary, parents shouldn't panic. Just like a cold, there is always a chance the sickness can affect children with underlying issues like asthma.

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“Even in the U.S., all children so far have done well with just some additional supportive care in hospital so I think that's reassuring news from the U.S.,” said Dr. Shahab.

Dr. Shahab's advice to parents is to keep kids home from school until they get better in order to prevent Enterovirus D-68 from spreading. If they don't get better or their breathing gets wheezy then take the child to the hospital where they will likely spend a few days being treated.

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