For Immediate Release: October 10, 2014
Contact: Nicole Stanfield nstanfield@ochca.com, 714-834-2178
Orange County Confirms Three Cases of Enterovirus D68
(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Health Care Agency has received confirmation from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) that three patients in Orange County have tested positive for enterovirus D68. The three patients, all of them children, are unrelated and are not linked with any community outbreak of the illness.
There has been an increase in enterovirus D68 reported across the country over the last few months, resulting in enhanced surveillance locally. “Due to the heightened awareness and surveillance for enterovirus D68, it is not surprising to identify cases in Orange County’” said Dr. Eric Handler, Public Health Officer. Individual cases of enterovirus D68 have also been reported in communities throughout the state, including several counties in Southern California, but outbreaks of respiratory illness have not been reported in California. Continue reading