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Escambia County Child Contracts Enterovirus D68; Child Attends Santa Rosa School
October 10, 2014
The Florida Department of Health has received confirmation of the presence of Enterovirus D68 infection in an 8-year old boy who lives in Escambia County And now the department is advising parents, childcare workers, and healthcare professionals to be vigilant for respiratory virus infections such as enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza (flu).
The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County has confirmed the student that resides in Escambia County attends school in Santa Rosa County. The health department said the student has recovered from the illness and is no longer contagious.
In a news release, Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said the child is not a student in the Escambia County School District. School officials said they are not aware of any student or staff member in the Escambia County School District being exposed to the virus.
All schools in the district have been informed to take extra precautions by following the advice of the Florida Department of Health’s instructions. Students and staff are being asked to increase the use of soap and water by washing their hands thoroughly as hand sanitizer has not proven effective against this contagious virus.
Enterovirus D68 can cause difficulty breathing in infants and young children. Like RSV and the flu, EV-D68, is highly contagious and spreads through droplets in coughs or sneezes, or when someone touches a contaminated surface like a countertop or doorknob. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers and disinfectants have not been found to be effective against EV-D68. Frequent hand washing and the use of non-alcohol surface disinfectants are recommended.
Enterovirus D68 has signs and symptoms that are similar to the common cold, the flu, or RSV. Adults and older children might have only mild signs such as a cough, stuffy nose, and low-grade fever. People with asthma, particularly children, are at increased risk for severe presentations of EV-D68 infection. In rare cases, EV infections may become serious enough to require hospitalization.
Other prevention measures include:
- Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow;
- Avoiding sharing cups and eating utensils;
- Refraining from kissing others, especially those with symptoms;
- Frequently cleaning potentially contaminated surfaces (doorknobs, countertops, tables, toys, etc.) using a bleach solution (1 part bleach and 9 parts water).
Call your doctor if you or your child has any of these symptoms:
- wheezing
- trouble breathing
- high fever with ill appearance
- thick nasal discharge
- signs of dehydration
Comments
9 Responses to “Escambia County Child Contracts Enterovirus D68; Child Attends Santa Rosa School”
I am a student of the Escambia School District. Hand sanitizer would not be proven effective yet, not p_r_o_v_e_n. Do you see what I mean, they are still running tests. People like me with a compromised immune system are at risk, yes, but that doesn’t mean they will get it. They just have to keep up with handwashing and not touching the face. Just stay safe everyone and keep healthy.
p.s. A reminder that teachers are taking care of sanitizing surfaces.
REGARDING:
“How many of those kids do you really think take the time to properly “wash up”??????????”
Evidence of the correct answer is found in the knowledge that poliovirus is transmitted by fecal traces on children’s hands to other children and then into their mouths to infect them
David for soap and water
Parents should also keep your children home if sick. That is why illness is spread so much. Parents cant or wont keep them home and illness spreads. They should be fever free for atleast 24 hours before returning to school.
I agree with”Mom” the kids are scared to even go to the bathroom in middle school, don’t want to have too many bathroom passes per nine weeks, much less take time to go wash hands. Need to put emphasis on health just a little bit more, most of the time the need to go is real! Bathroom passes are actually a reward in some classes! Children are scared to be late to class, so why wash up! With growing epidemics, time for some changes!
They did send out notifications. We got one today.
They don’t have to release the child’s name for privacy reasons, but the school district should send out a notice call for the school with the affected child in it, so those parents can pay close attention to their kids.
I strongly suspect that my family had an experience with this virus in July. The kids came in with cold like symptoms. My mother and I both became sick. I went to the dr. and she didn’t. The 4th day of cold like symptoms it got in my mother’s chest and she couldn’t breathe. Called an ambulance for her. After she passed from other complications I became sick again and had a hospital stay of 3 days. I have never seen chest congestion so hard to cough up from your lungs. This virus will knock you down.
As serious as this is, the schools should tighten up and MAKE time for the kids to wash their hands. Not only MAKE them, but WATCH them! They’re kids! Teach the kids HOW to wash appropriately. I always made my kids wash their hands while singing the ABC’s. That was their “timer”…..
The schools do not allow kids to routinely wash their hands with soap and water because there isn’t enough time. Hand sanitizer is usually the only form of hand washing that gets used under supervision. However, students are encouraged to wash with soap and water after using the restroom ………. How many of those kids do you really think take the time to properly “wash up”??????????