49 hospitalized for respiratory care in Springs

Health officials say 49 children suffering from respiratory illnesses were hospitalized last week at a Children’s Hospital Colorado facility in Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reported Tuesday 13 of those children were placed in the intensive care unit.

The hospitalizations came amid a multi-state outbreak of enterovirus 68, an uncommon virus that mimics the common cold.

In the Denver metro area, 117 children were hospitalized for severe respiratory illnesses last week at Children’s Hospital Colorado facilities.

Colorado is one of more than 10 states where hundreds of children have been sickened by respiratory problems that may be caused by enterovirus 68.