(CNN) ––
Doctors in the United States should prepare for a possible increase in young patients with enterovirus D68, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Tuesday, something that may be linked to increased cases of the rare crippling condition acute flaccid myelitis.
This summer saw an increase in acute respiratory illnesses and emergency room admissions due to rhinovirus and enterovirus in children and adolescents, new data from the CDC reveals.
This increase could be attributed more specifically to enterovirus D68, which, in rare cases, can cause acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).
"Health care facilities should prepare for potential increases in pediatric health care associated with serious respiratory illnesses related to enterovirus D68," the CDC explained in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"Previous increases in circulating enterovirus D68 were also associated with increased reports of AFM."
Acute flaccid myelitis causes weakness and paralysis of the arms and legs.
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The CDC has detected increases in enterovirus D68 every two years or so.
This month, the agency warned doctors to be on the lookout for infections.
The virus tends to peak in late summer and early fall.
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The data shows that positive rhinovirus/enterovirus test results "appear to be increasing at a rate comparable to the last few years of the enterovirus D68 outbreak," doubling over a period of a few weeks through early September, the researchers explained. CDC.
"In 2014, a widespread outbreak of enterovirus D68 in the United States caused similar increases in severe respiratory illness and medically managed asthma exacerbations and was associated with an increase in AFM cases," the report stated.
In addition to AFM testing, health care providers are urged to test people suspected of having AFM for poliovirus due to the similarity of symptoms.
Enterovirus D68 causes symptoms similar to those of common colds, with cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and sometimes fever.
It requires doctors to take additional steps to diagnose.
CNN's Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
respiratory infectionsChildrenParalysis