Leader Staff
The Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department sent alerts to schools last week to be on the lookout for possible cases of enterovirus 68.
Doctors suspect there are at least nine Wisconsin cases of the respiratory and stomach virus that has hospitalized hundreds of children around the country.
Samples of nine suspected cases in the Madison area were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. Test results should be back in about one week.
Enterovirus 68 is an uncommon strain of a very common family of viruses that typically hit from summertime through autumn. It mainly affects infants, children and teenagers.
Common symptoms include a low-grade fever in addition to a cough, runny nose, sneezing and body/muscle aches. The more severe symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing and a high heart rate.
Children with weakened immune systems or asthma are most at risk.
The virus is spread through saliva, nasal mucus or sputum, and is spread from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes or touches surfaces.
Deb Zernicke, assistant public health director for the area health department, said letters were sent Friday to area schools with information about the virus.