What is it about?
Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) typically causes respiratory illness but has been infrequently encountered in the USA. In 2014, EV-D68 caused an outbreak in the USA wherein some patients developed polio-like syndromes. It is difficult to collect virus aerosols using current air samplers, and our laboratory has worked towards optimizing methods to capture aerosolized virus. During air sampling analyses of classroom air in Sept. 2015, we detected EV-D68. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of EV-D68 in the USA since the 2014 outbreak.
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Why is it important?
This work is important for three reasons: (a) This is the first detection of EV-D68 in breathing air, (b) This is probably the first detection of EV-D68 in the USA after the 2014 outbreak, and (c) Our finding reveals the possibility that EV-D68 can be transmitted through airborne routes (through inhalation exposure).
Perspectives
Finding EV-D68 in breathing air was a surprise in that, to our knowledge, there had been no reports of the virus in circulation in the USA during the fall of 2015. Our finding exemplified the utility of air sampling as a method for biosurveillance. Classrooms and other areas where large numbers of people congregate ('mass gatherings') are venues for the transmission of airborne viruses. When applied properly, air quality tests centered on the detection of respiratory viruses offer a powerful tool to assess the pathogens in circulation within a community.
Dr. John A Lednicky
University of Florida
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Complete Genome Sequence of Enterovirus D68 Detected in Classroom Air and on Environmental Surfaces, Genome Announcements, June 2016, ASM Journals,
DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00579-16.
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