Officials: Enterovirus D68 Confirmed At Bound Brook High School

BOUND BROOK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- There has been a diagnosis of Enterovirus D68 at Bound Brook High School in Somerset County, school officials said.

The school sent a notification letter to parents last week.

"The district administration and maintenance department is working directly with our school physician and the health department to ensure that all proper protocols are being followed in regards to the safety of our staff and students," Dr. Daniel Gallagher, Superintendent of Schools, said in the letter last Friday.

He even reached out to parents at home.

"They did a phone blast," high school student Kyra Johnson told CBS 2's Christine Sloan.

Gallagher added that the school was to be thoroughly cleaned by the time students returned Monday.

"They sanitized the whole school over the weekend," high school student Shadi Ahmed said.

Symptoms of Enterovirus D68 include cough, runny nose, sneezing and more. They are generally considered to be similar to flu.

Despite the notice from Gallagher, the Department of Health said it could not confirm the additional case, adding that only the Centers for Disease Control can confirm the strain of Enterovirus.

Still, one 17-year-old with asthma told Sloan it's better to be cautious because children with underlying respiratory problems are at higher risk.

"Mine is more sports-induced, so if I am exercising or anything like that, that is when my asthma starts to flare up and everything," senior Joshua Carlton said.

The DOH said, however, that there had been four additional cases of Enterovirus D68 this week, including three in Monmouth County and one in Bergen County.

There have been 18 cases total of Enterovirus D68 in New Jersey thus far, the DOH said.

Four-year-old Eli Waller of Hamilton died of the same strain Sept. 25.

His parents said there were no warning signs. The preschooler was said to have died in his sleep.

Liz Baer said she isn't taking any chances with her 5-year-old.

"Yeah, 'cause she is so young and I have two other boys in the school, too. (I'm) just hoping it doesn't get passed along," Baer said, adding when asked by Sloan what precautions she's having her daughter take, "Wash her hands and stay away from people who are sick."

For more information about Enterovirus D68 in New Jersey, click here.

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