D68, an uncommon strain of enterovirus, has caused an unexpectedly high number of respiratory illnesses across the USA and has now appeared in Canada.
A rare strain of enterovirus that can cause severe respiratory illness in children is circulating throughout the USA and Canada, causing a higher than usual number of infections.
Between mid-August and Sept 26, 277 people in 40 states and the District of Columbia have tested positive for enterovirus D68, all but one of them children, reports the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)in Atlanta, GA. National numbers are not available for Canada, but the virus has been detected in several provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Read more in The Lancet.