Illinois was one of the first states to see cases of a previously rare respiratory illness that has taken a particular toll on children. The state hasn't seen it spread since then, at least according to official figures.
It was in mid-to-late August when a Chicago hospital noticed a surge in patients with respiratory problems. The Centers for Disease Control confirmed that of the 14 specimens submitted, 11 tested positive for what is known as enterovirusD68.
Since, there has been national attention, and concern, about the sickness, with cases popping up in other states. And yet, nearly a month later, the number of confirmed cases in Illinois remains at 11. That's not to say that there aren't more, but no more have been confirmed.
Blessing Hospital in Quincy reported seeing an increase in kids with respiratory ailments coming to the ER over the Labor Day weekend; spokeswoman Lisa Neisen says it spurred Blessing to take action.
"We put visiting restrictions in place to restrict children under the age of 12 from visiting Blessing hospital patients until further notice."
But Blessing cannot verify that any of those patients did, or did not, have the enterovirus strain. A spokeswoman for Illinois' public health department says the state has sent in further samples to the CDC for testing, though she would not say how many, nor did she know how long it would take to get results.