The number of cases of enterovirus D68 in British Columbia has more than doubled in just one week, according to new statistics from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
As of Oct. 30, the provincial laboratory has confirmed 119 cases of EV-D68, up from 56 cases the week before, the BC CDC said in its latest influenza surveillance bulletin.
The median age of all patients is eight years, the agency said, and cases have been detected across the province.
The spike in cases follows lab testing of specimens that were submitted “in recent weeks,” the agency said in a tweet announcing the new cases Friday.
EV-D68 activity started later in B.C. than other regions, the agency said in a follow-up tweet, and “may subside later than elsewhere.
“We continue to monitor ongoing activity.”
About two weeks ago, a 25-year-old B.C. man with asthma died after contracting EV-D68. It was the first death in Canada linked to the virus, which has been spreading mostly among children and young adults across North America.
The B.C. victim, identified by family and friends as Reuben Deuling, had a history of severe asthma, and had not shown signs of paralysis or neurological symptoms that have been linked to some cases, health authorities said at the time.
It remains unclear what role the virus played in Deuling’s death, the BC CDC said in its latest virus update. However, the incident served as a reminder to adults that they are not immune to the complications.
In most cases, however, the virus only causes mild, cold-like symptoms.
