To assist in tracking the enterovirus-D68 outbreak, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Communicable Disease branch is working with Colorado local public health agencies and selected
Colorado hospitals to collect weekly aggregate data on patients presenting with
non-influenza viral respiratory illness,
including:

  • Positive rhinovirus/enterovirus PCR test results 
  • Emergency department visits 
  • Non-Intensive Care Unit admissions 
  • Intensive Care Unit admissions 
  • Deaths

Data is from Aug. 2 – Oct. 25, 2014, from 10 hospitals including two that serve only children. The hospitals are in the following Colorado all-hazards emergency management regions:

  • North central
  • South central
  • Northwest
  • Northeast
  • West
  • Southeast
  • South 

Findings:

  • Positive PCR tests for rhinovirus/enterovirus appear to have peaked the week ending Sept. 13, 2014.
  • Emergency Department visits and non-ICU admissions due to non-influenza viral respiratory illness
    appear to have peaked the week ending Sept. 13, 2014. 
  • Among participating hospitals, 75.1 percent of the Emergency Department visits and 81.8 percent of the non-ICU
    admissions occurred among patients 18 or younger. 
  • Total number of Emergency Department visits reported during the Aug. 2 to Oct. 25 time frame = 3,340.
  • ICU admissions due to non-influenza viral respiratory illness appear to have peaked the week ending Sept. 20, 2014. 
  • Among participating hospitals, 91.4 percent of ICU admissions occurred among patients 18 or younger. 
  • During the Aug. 2 to Oct. 25 time frame, two deaths associated with non-influenza viral respiratory illness were reported by the participating hospitals. Deaths occurred in adult patients.