Enterovirus D68-associated severe pneumonia, China, 2014.

To the Editor: Over the past 4 years, outbreaks caused by enterovirus type D68 (EV-D68) infection have occurred in many parts of the world (1); this virus can cause severe respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children. This public health concern has been boosted by the recent outbreaks of EV-D68 infection in the United States (http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/outbreaks/EV-D68-outbreaks.html). Outbreaks associated with novel EV-D68 have also been reported during 2006–2012 in China (2,3). However, since 2012, no EV-D68 infections in China have been reported. Whether the EV-D68 outbreaks in the United States affected those in China is unclear. Continuous characterization of EV-D68 epidemics is therefore necessary for purposes of early alert and for facilitating control measure decisions.