WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling attention to the need for greater public awareness of information and resources to combat the outbreak of enterovirus D68, which has been found in a total of 16 states, and other viruses. Murphy penned the letter in response to confirmation that a Connecticut resident had been affected by the virus and that other Connecticut hospitals are in the process of sending specimen samples to the CDC for testing.

“As Connecticut confronts its first confirmed case of enterovirus D68, I write to bring attention to the need for greater public awareness of proper hygiene and prevention. As a parent of two young boys, I can attest to the need to ensure that parents, teachers, child care center officials, and others are reminded of the importance of frequent hand-washing with soap and water, as well as other important prevention methods. The rapid spread of this outbreak only serves to underline the importance of early prevention efforts, and I would urge that you consider increasing your efforts to inform the public about the value of prevention to combat enterovirus D68 outbreak and other diseases. The CDC’s expertise and standing in the world is unmatched and information from such a trusted source will emphasize the critical role that prevention plays in staying healthy.”


The full text of the letter is below:

 

September 18, 2014

Dr. Tom Frieden

Director

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road

Atlanta, GA  30333

Dear Dr. Frieden:

As Connecticut confronts its first confirmed case of enterovirus D68—which has now been found in a total of 16 states—I write to bring attention to the need for greater public awareness of proper hygiene and prevention. While it is fortunate that this virus is, in most cases, not life-threatening, many communities are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of infections of this previously relatively rare enterovirus, which primarily affects children. As a parent of two young boys, I can attest to the need to ensure that parents, teachers, child care center officials, and others are reminded of the importance of frequent hand-washing with soap and water, as well as other important prevention methods. Particularly as we approach the beginning of flu season, a public awareness campaign focused on this information would be timely, and I look forward to working with your agency as a partner in this effort.

I greatly appreciate the work that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has done thus far. Working with hospitals from my state and others to identify this particular strain and continuing to inform health professionals has been key to getting individuals the right information about the dangers of this virus. In particular, I would like to thank you for working with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Thankfully the one confirmed case in Connecticut was mild and the patient was released after a short hospital stay. However, I understand that other hospitals in Connecticut are in the process of sending samples to the CDC for testing and even more may be coming in the future. The rapid spread of this outbreak only serves to underline the importance of early prevention efforts.

Again, I would urge that you consider increasing your efforts to inform the public about the value of prevention to combat enterovirus D68 outbreak and other diseases. The CDC’s expertise and standing in the world is unmatched and information from such a trusted source will emphasize the critical role that prevention plays in staying healthy. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your response. 

                                                Sincerely,

                                                Christopher S. Murphy

                                                United States Senator