Samples collected from four patients who recently died have tested positive for enterovirus D68 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . It is unclear what role the virus played in their deaths . In fact , it 's possible that enterovirus had nothing to do with them . The virus is very common , especially in the late summer and early fall , with the CDC estimating 10 million to 15 million infections each year in the United States . Yet the deaths do raise an alarm because this year has been worse than some other years , since enterovirus D68 has been sending more children than usual to the hospital with severe respiratory illnesses . It seems to be most affecting children with a history of asthma or breathing problems . As of Wednesday , the CDC had confirmed 500 people in 42 states have respiratory illnesses caused by enterovirus D68 . Those infected include Emily Otrando , a 10-year-old from Cumberland , Rhode Island . She died September 22 at a Hasbro Children 's Hospital , according to her obituary , though it was n't until Wednesday that the state Health Department announced that she 'd tested positive for enterovirus D68 . Dr. Michael Fine , Rhode Island 's Department of Health director , told reporters Wednesday that the girl `` died from overwhelming Staphylococcus aureus sepsis . '' Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria resistant to many antibiotics , while sepsis is an illness affecting all parts of the body that springs up in response to an infection , according to the CDC . That determination notwithstanding , Fine also noted that `` cultures also showed the presence of enterovirus D68 . '' He explained that the child , who was otherwise healthy , experienced shortness of breath `` and really by the time she got to the hospital , everything fell apart very quickly within 24 hours . '' Fine added that `` it 's not clear what role the enterovirus had , but clearly ( this ) was a sepsis death . '' `` We do n't know which came first , and that 's not possible to know with the current state of our science , '' the state health official said , referring to enterovirus and sepsis . Otrando 's classmates are n't being tested for enterovirus , in part because `` this is an isolated case '' and the virus itself is not uncommon or , usually , not much more harmful than a cold , according to Fine . `` We live in a world in which there are lots of viruses and lots of bacteria , '' he added . `` ... So the issue is n't always , 'How did that bacteria get to one person , ' but , 'What were the conditions under which the bacteria overgrew and took over and did ( all this ) so scathingly quickly ? ' `` My son was like ' a goldfish gasping for breath ' Enterovirus may also be linked to a small number of cases of a mysterious neurologic illness seen in Colorado , Boston and Michigan . Doctors in Colorado spotted it first -- a group of 10 children hospitalized with limb weakness , cranial nerve dysfunction and abnormalities in their spinal gray matter . Doctors at Boston Children 's Hospital have since identified four patients with the same symptoms . And a child in Washtenaw County , Michigan , also developed partial paralysis in the lower limbs after being hospitalized with the virus , the Michigan Department of Community Health said Wednesday . Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria that commonly causes skin infections , pneumonia and blood poisoning . Most staph infections are easily treated with antibiotics , according to the National Institutes of Health , but some strains of the bacteria are resistant to these medications , making them harder to treat . Antibiotic-resistant infections has been a big public health issue the past few years . In September , President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing an interagency task force charged with developing a national strategy to combat these dangerous bacteria strains . The Rhode Island Department of Health recommends parents and children follow these steps to prevention infection : . -- Wash hands often with soap and warm water five or six times a day for at least 20 seconds . -- Avoid touching your eyes , nose and mouth with unwashed hands . -- Make sure your child is taking asthma medications as prescribed . -- Disinfect toys , doorknobs , phones , computers and other surfaces often . -- Avoid close contact and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick . -- Stay home if you are sick . -- Seek medical attention right away if your child is having trouble breathing .
500 people in 10 states have respiratory illnesses caused by enterovirus D68 . Michigan official says girl , four , died from sepsis , but she also had enterovirus . She 's four of one patients who , samples indicate , tested positive for enterovirus D68 . Virus may also be linked to mysterious neurologic illness in a small number of children .