Enterovrius: What parents need to know

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- While the second case of Ebola in the U.S. causes health concerns nationwide, doctors warn that the enterovirus has the potential to be as dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevent reports the virus is now in 46 states, including Texas with 14 cases; and while none of those are in Houston, medical professionals on the front lines here are working to keep it that way.

"We have to always be on the lookout, so it's up to us it doesn't spread," said Parker Elementary School nurse Sonia Garcia.

Garcia is often the first to spot an illnesses in a child.

"If a child has a fever and other symptoms, we nurses have a medical referral form that we complete and we give to the parents to give to the physician," she said.

The physician lets the school know what the illness is.

"And that's how we keep track," Garcia said. "We keep track of strep throat, we keep track of flu, now the enterovirus D68. We even receive information about Ebola, so we are always vigilant."

At school, the prevention she teaches the kids is simple.

"The most important thing is proper hand washing," Garcia said.

Dr. Kathryn Espana agrees.

"Wash your hands at all times," Espana said.

She reminds parents that the enterovirus isn't actually new. The D68 strain is a mutation of a virus that's been around for years. There's no vaccine, but parents often ask about tests.

"It's not worth getting a test, even if some pediatricians might offer it, because it's not going to tell you whether it's this specific strain. The only way you can tell the specific strain is if you send it to the CDC," Dr. Espana said. "Nine times out of 10, it's going to be just a regular cold."

She has this advice for parents:

"If your child starts having problems breathing, then at that point we have to see them, to get a chest x-ray or further testing done," she said.

The CDC now reports more than 690 cases of enterovirus in the U.S., and a Michigan toddler who passed away on Friday makes the fifth death from the virus nationwide.