With the outbreak of a rare enterovirus across the nation, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed its presence in six patients from North Carolina on Tuesday.

According to a NCHHS news release, the specimens that tested positive for EV-D68, the enterovirus, came from children ages 10 and younger with respiratory illnesses. The testing was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on specimens sent from hospitals across the state, the release said.

The release said specific information about the patients, including county of residence or location of hospital, is not being released in order to protect patient confidentiality, but Vidant Beaufort Hospital Infection Control Nurse Billie Whitfield said there are no known cases in Beaufort County.

“DHHS’ Division of Public Health has been monitoring this situation very closely,” said Dr. Zack Moore, a pediatrician and epidemiologist with the Division of Public Health. “The confirmed cases were located in different parts of the state, so it is important for everyone to take necessary actions to protect yourself from EV-D68 and other respiratory viruses. There are no vaccines and no specific treatments for EV-D68, so prevention is the best option. EV-D68 is one of many enteroviruses that can cause illness. Enterovirus infections are not generally life-threatening but can sometimes be severe, especially for children with asthma or other underlying respiratory conditions. If you or your child experience cold-like symptoms and difficulty breathing, contact your health care provider right away.”

The release said there are more than 100 types of enteroviruses and 10 to 15 million infections across the U.S. each year. Among the symptoms incurred from the virus include runny nose, coughing, mouth sores, fever and body aches, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

The rare enterovirus, which hasn’t been seen in the U.S. since the 1960s, has more than 1,000 children in 10 states — Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Georgia — have suddenly become infected, according to USA Today. Those states have contacted the CDC for help in investigating the cases.

Whitfield said the virus is similar to what doctors treat during cold and flu season, leaving options for treatment limited. Some cases are serious, most aren’t, but the virus runs almost like the flu.

“One year they’ll be bad, the next they won’t be bad,” Whitfield said. “This one, this year, seems to be more virulent. They think they reason they’re seeing it more is that they can identify it easier. There are more tests to identify it. Viruses mutate and this seems to be a virulent strain.”

Normally, with regular viruses, small community hospitals like Vidant Beaufort can detect them, but to be specific about the strain of virus, specimens have to be sent to labs to do special RNA/DNA testing. If a physician suspects a child or even an adult is infected, the CDC has to be contacted, Whitfield said.

Whitfield said the NCHHS issued an instruction sheet about how to call the CDC and submit suspected specimens, which have to be specially packaged and sent to the CDC.

“It’s a lot like the H1N1 virus,” Whitfield said. “But the virus itself is not as severe as the H1N1. It’s more virulent in children because they’re more likely to catch it.”

Spread by droplets, the virus can be contracted by being within three feet of someone who is infected, Whitfield said. Droplets emitted by those who are infected fall and rest on surfaces.

“It doesn’t hang in the air,” Whitfield said. “It may settle on something or fall down lower, but to be in direct contact, within three feet of someone, can increase the risk.”

To help reduce the risk of contracting the virus, it is important to stick to the same guidelines as any other respiratory virus, Whitfield said. Those guidelines include washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid kissing, hugging or sharing cups or utensils with those who are sick; disinfect frequently touched items; use wipes to clean surfaces; and people who are sick should stay home, Whitfield said.

For more information, visit the CDC website on Enterovirus D68: http://www.cdc.gov/non-polioenterovirus/about/ev-d68.html.