Mysterious illness sweeping through Southwest Florida

Mysterious illness sweeping through Southwest Florida

Posted: Aug 18, 2017

By Dave Elias, Orlando Sentinel

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA -

A summertime mystery illness is sweeping through Southwest Florida, and it’s leaving people with symptoms that seem just like the flu. The Centers for Disease Control said that's not what it is while doctors believe it's the Rhinovirus, another name for the common cold. And if you think it's bad now, doctors predict it's about to get a whole lot worse.

Justin Cagle of Fort Myers described his summertime illness much like the flu. He had a runny nose, felt light headed, persistent coughing, aching muscles, disorientation, and inflammation of the sinuses. “It's definitely past the point where I'd expect colds to be going around,” Cagle said.

Pediatrician Dr. Pierre Loredo is warning parents to beware. “We will be seeing a lot of what we call back to school plague,” Dr. Loredo said. That means kids will be passing their germs to each other as they head back to the classroom.

“I think over the next two months my office will certainly be seeing a lot of runny noses, fevers, cough, cold and congestion,” Dr. Loredo predicted. While it sounds like the flu, Dr. Loredo points to a chart on the CDC website which says the flu is nearly non-existent. Loredo said more than likely people are suffering from a virus.

He predicts the sickness will get worse before it gets better. “I think it's our kids that are going to wind up getting sick and that is what’s going to give it to the adults, and we're going to see a lot of Strep and runny noses,” said Dr. Loredo.