Kids’ virus may have finally reached Arizona

PHOENIX — State health officials in Arizona have asked the Centers for Disease Controls to test samples for the virus that has been making children sick around the country.

Will Humble, director of Arizona Department of Health Services wrote at the department website that there had been a growing number of children being treated for upper respiratory problems. While several symptoms of the enterovirus are the same as a cold — runny nose, coughing, sneezing — it is worse with the virus. Some of the stricken have to be hospitalized.

Since August, there have been 130 confirmed diagnoses of the virus in a dozen states. If Arizona is now among them, it will mark he second Western state affected. Colorado is the other.

Officials said washing hands, staying home when sick, covering coughs and
sneezes and avoiding close contact with people who are sick can help protect
people from respiratory illness.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.