First case of enterovirus in Mississippi

The Mississippi Health Department confirmed Tuesday the first case of Enterovirus (EV-D68) in our state. A Hancock County child got sick and ended up in the hospital, but that child has "since recovered" according to the Health Department.

Children seem to be the ones who get the sickest.

"For reasons we cannot understand, it's making children with asthma have asthma attacks," said Dr. Skip Nolan, head of Infectious Diseases Department at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "[The virus] is also making kids without asthma wheeze."

The Health Department release says Enteroviruses cause 10-15 million infections in the U.S. every year.

"Enterovirus can cause what's referred to as a 'summer cold'," Dr. Nolan said.

And there could be more people who have it, but haven't been tested for it. Dr. Nolan said getting tested for something when there's no treatment for it "won't change what you do".

Enterovirus symptoms are similar to a cold: fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough and body aches. Most cases are mild, and the patient recovers in a few days. But again, children seem to be hit the hardest by the virus.

The state health department has a whole page of their website devoted to this illness.

Dawn R. Dugle is the Community Engagement Editor at The Clarion-Ledger. She is MsWr1te on Twitter.