Solano County public health officials have confirmed a school-age county child has enterovirus D68, Matthew A. Davis, public information officer, said.

“This is the first case of enterovirus D68 reported to Solano Public Health this year,” said Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County health officer and Health and Social Services deputy director.

“The child suffered from mild symptoms and was not hospitalized,” Matyas said.

By Thursday, the California Department of Public Health reported eight cases of EV-D68 this year, but that did not include the reported case in Solano County, Davis said. No deaths have been blamed on the disease in California so far, he said.

Nationally, by Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 500 cases of EV-D68 in 42 states. The virus has been found in specimens from four patients who died, but Davis said “The role of EV-D68 in these deaths is not clear at this time.”

Infants, children and teenagers are the most likely groups to become infected and get sick, Davis said, and many of those have asthma or have a history of wheezing.

“It is not surprising that we have a case of EV-D68 in Solano County, given that there are multiple cases in various parts of the country,” said Dr. Michael Stacey, chief medical officer and deputy health officer for Solano County.

“We expect to see more cases as the virus is widespread and is present in our community,” he said.

Most people infected with EV-D68 experience mild symptoms, which may include fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing and body and muscle aches, Davis said.

However, some will have more severe symptoms, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing, he said.

In some cases, limb weakness has been reported in children infected with EV-D68, but officials said it is unclear at this time if the limb weakness is due to EV-D68.

The virus can be found in an infected person’s saliva, nasal mucus or sputum. It can be spread person to person through coughs, sneezes or contaminated surfaces, Davis said.

There is no specific treatment, vaccine or antiviral medications currently available for the respiratory illness caused by EV-D68, he said.

“The best thing to do when it comes to protecting yourself and your loved ones is to follow the best practices associated with avoiding the common cold and flu,” Stacey said.

“Wash your hands often with soap and water, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick,” he said.

He also recommended frequent disinfecting of used surfaces, including doorknobs, remote controls and toys, “especially if someone is sick.” He said Benicia residents and others should get vaccinated for influenza, which can cause severe respiratory difficulty, as can EV-D68.

“Now that the fall season is here, we would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to receive the influenza vaccine,” Stacey said.

Solano County is offering free influenza vaccines at multiple locations. For a schedule of vaccination clinics, those interested may call Solano County Health and Social Services at 707-784-8600.