Burlington, N.C.-based LabCorp has launched a test to identify enterovirus D68, a dangerous infection that can cause severe respiratory illness in children. The EV-D68 polymerase chain reaction test determines the presence or absence of enteroviral RNA in a respiratory sample and, if positive, triggers an order to do another EV-D68-specific PCR test, the Burlington, N.C., company says.

The new test comes at a time when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has been reporting unusually high numbers of cases of EV-D68 in the U.S. this year.

No vaccines or specific treatments are available for EV-D68, and commonly used antiviral drugs have not been effective in treating infected patients, LabCorp notes. In response to the recent outbreak, CDC issued protocols for clinical evaluation, reporting and treatment of patients confirmed or suspected to have EV-D68.

Enterovirus infections cause a wide spectrum of illnesses. According to LabCorp, the viruses cause millions of symptomatic infections annually in the U.S., with most being relatively benign. — Kellen Owings

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