10th child dies in viral outbreak at North Jersey facility that has sickened 27 kids – NJ.com
Editor’s note: Do you have a family member on the pediatric unit at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, or a child who has been affected by the viral outbreak there? NJ.com would like to hear from you. You may reach us at (732) 902-4559, or write to Susan Livio at slivio@njadvancemedia.com, Spencer Kent at skent@njadvancemedia.com, or Ted Sherman at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com.
A 10th child has died in the severe viral outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell, the state Department of Health announced Wednesday night.
There are 28 people — 27 children and one adult who works at the facility — who have been sickened in the outbreak between Sept. 26 and Oct. 29.
They were exposed to the adenovirus — a respiratory illness that causes flu — or cold-like symptoms, but can be far more harmful to those who are medically fragile.
The children who live at Wanaque all have severely compromised immune systems. The Wanaque facility notified the state of the outbreak on Oct. 9.
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The health department has placed a Communicable Disease Service staff member on site, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is assisting with lab testing, Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said in a statement.
The state is also consulting with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Elnahal said.
“The loss of these young lives is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with the families who are affected,” Elnahal said. “We are working closely with the facility to conduct respiratory illness surveillance and ensure all infection control protocols are continuously followed.”
A state inspection released Tuesday found more than a dozen deficiencies in hand-washing and infection control.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.