Additional cases of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) were confirmed Wednesday in Burlington, Camden and Morris counties, bringing the total number of patients in New Jersey to seven, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

(DOBphoto, ThinkStock)
(DOBphoto, ThinkStock)
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The New Jersey Department of Health was notified by the CDC of four additional cases of enterovirus in New Jersey children.

The four new cases are pediatric patients. The Department of Health reports that two of the children are from Burlington County, and one each are from Camden and Morris counties.

"All seven children have been released from the hospital and are recovering. The children range in age from 1-9 years old. For reasons of medical privacy, the department will not be providing additional information about the children," the DOH said in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

Three confirmed cases were previously confirmed in Essex, Passaic and Sussex counties.

The new confirmed cases come one day after health officials announced they were awaiting new test results following the death of a preschool student in Mercer County. The 4-year-old boy, who attended the Yardville Elementary School’s pre-school program, died at home on Thursday. Influenza was ruled out as the cause of the child's death.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th District) told parents the CDC will expedite samples to try to determine why the student died.The CDC wants to determine whether enterovirus is to blame.
A total of 472 cases of the EV-D68 virus have been confirmed in 41 states and the District of Columbia since mid-August, according to the CDC. State health officials say they are conintuing to work with New Jersey's local health departments as well as health care providers to "closely monitor for increases in respiratory illnesses in hospitals across the state."

"There is an existing surveillance system in place to monitor flu-like activity and the department will use that process to monitor for EV-D68," the press release states.

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