I tell you that not to freak you out, but to let you know how common it is. Most cases are typically mild. When we see sever disease, it's often in immunocompromised patients and those cases are uncommon.

What's important to remember is the children who died in New Jersey were all medically fragile and had weakened immune systems.

I know this kind of news can be scary, so I thought I would take some time to answer a few questions you may have.

What is adenovirus?

For most children, adenovirus causes mild symptoms. Sore throat, pink eye, fever and common cold symptoms are the most frequent. The symptoms are typically similar to but much less severe than influenza and can also be mistaken for strep throat. Like most viruses, the initial symptoms go away on their own in a few days but upper respiratory symptoms such as cough and congestion can last up to two weeks.

There are multiple different types of adenovirus, some cause more severe disease than others. They are all spread by close personal contact and by droplets spread by coughing and sneezing. In addition, adenovirus is pretty resilient and can live on surfaces. It can also continue to be spread by people with weakened immune systems, even after the symptoms have resolved.

Should you be worried?

Because adenovirus is usually a mild illness, most parents don't have to worry about the virus. The situation in New Jersey is a tragic combination of factors that led to this terrible outcome. Multiple children who are medically fragile living in close quarters. In addition the type of adenovirus which affected the children is known to be one that causes more serious disease.

So, what if my child is medically fragile?

If your child lives or will spend time in a group rehabilitation home investigate their cleaning practices. There is little evidence to suggest that this rehabilitation center has made significant mistakes that caused the outbreak, but you can never be too careful.

Otherwise, keep you child away from illness as much as possible. If they are sick with upper respiratory symptoms, monitor them closely for sign of difficulty breathing and seek help quickly

For the rest of us, it's important to remember to keep our kids home when they are sick so that we do not put other children at risk.

Cook Children's medical staff saw its own cluster of patients in 2016 and has seen sporadic cases since then, as have other hospitals across the nation.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) presents similar to polio in that it causes an abrupt onset of limb weakness an decreased muscle tone, which can have associated problems with urination and, in the worst cases, cause respiratory failure if the muscles involved in the breathing become weak.

“This is a very rare illness and we’re still not sure what causes AFM,” said Mary Suzanne Whitworth, M.D., medical director of Infectious Diseases at Cook Children’s. “It is mostly like caused by a virus or a genetic disorder. At this point, we must treat each child on a case-by-case basis, but the earlier a diagnosis is made, the quicker a plan of action can take place.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says most patients will have a sudden onset of limb weakness and loss of muscle tone and reflexes. Some patients will also experience:

• Facial droop/weakness
• Difficulty moving the eyes
• Drooping eyelids
• Difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech

If you notice any of these symptoms, please notify your doctor immediately. Through thorough testing of the nervous system, doctors will be able to diagnose AFM.

The CDC recommends the following as means of prevention:

• Up to date on all recommended vaccinations, including the poliovirus.
• Protect yourself from mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile by using mosquito repellent and staying indoors at dusk and dawn.
• Remove standing or stagnant water from properties to minimize the number of mosquitoes in your area.
• Wash hands with soap and water.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Clean surfaces with a disinfectant, especially those that a sick person has touched.