Children with severe respiratory illnesses are flooding the emergency room of USA Children 's and Women 's Hospital in Mobile , Alabama , according to CNN affiliate WPMI . Doctors started noticing an increase in children with severe colds and troubling breathing in mid-August , said Dr. Jason Richerson , medical director of USA Children 's & Women 's Evaluation Center . Since then , more than 340 children have been treated at the hospital . Around 45 of them were admitted . What parents should know about EV-D68 . Doctors told WPMI that these patients are usually in the hospital for one to two days ; others are being treated and released the same day . Enteroviruses are quite common in September ; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 10 to 15 million people are infected by these viruses each year . But doctors believe a particular type of enterovirus , Enterovirus D68 , is causing more problems this fall than in years past . Enterovirus D68 seems to be exacerbating breathing problems in children with asthma , which is leading to more hospitalizations . As of September 11 , more than 80 people in six states have been confirmed to have respiratory illness caused by EV-D68 , according to the CDC . These states are Colorado , Illinois , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky and Missouri . List of states with Enterovirus . The virus is hard to track , as so many enteroviruses cause similar symptoms , and hospitals generally do not test for specific types . The Alabama Department of Public Health has not confirmed any cases of Enterovirus D68 , but has sent samples to the CDC for testing . `` We do not expect results for one to two weeks , '' the department told CNN . Other states , including Michigan , Georgia , Ohio , Oklahoma , Utah and Washington , are still investigating clusters of respiratory illnesses . Several have sent samples to the CDC for testing . On Thursday , health officials in Washington state said they were working with Seattle Children 's Hospital to investigate a group of patients who had tested positive for a possible enterovirus infection . The King County Department of Public Health has sent samples to the CDC to see whether the virus at fault is Enterovirus D68 . `` Although we ca n't currently say that these cases are definitely due to EV-D68 , it would not be surprising if the virus is confirmed on further testing , '' Dr. Jeff Duchin , chief of communicable disease and epidemiology at the department , said in a statement . Enteroviruses usually present like the common cold ; symptoms include sneezing , a runny nose and a cough . Most people recover without any treatment . But if your child appears to be having trouble breathing , take him or her to a doctor right away .
More than 340 children have been treated at a hospital in Mobile , Alabama . Doctors believe the culprit to be Enterovirus D . Enterovirus D68 appears to be causing breathing difficulties for children with asthma .