Northern Health has its first confirmed case of D-68 Enterovirus.
It is one of 7 confirmed cases in BC.
Dr. Danuta Skowronski with the BC Centre for Disease Control, says there are more than 100 types of enteroviruses.
Skowronski says D-68’s symptoms are associated with lower respiratory including coughs, wheezing and difficulty breathing.
That said, she says the sky is not falling…
“This virus is getting some notoriety now because we have been picking it up in those who have more severe symptoms…Most enteroviruses are associated with common cold type symptoms and it’s likely that there are far more people who have mild symptoms that we are not testing.”
Skowronski says very few people are hospitalized adding that the most susceptible are children with a history of asthma.
She says it is important for parents of those children to be especially attentive, if need be, to get medical attention.
The virus was first identified in California back in 1962.