An “in the field” perspective on enterovirus D-68 is needed to clarify both your inflammatory headline and the rather inaccurate Health Department press release of Oct. 2, 2014.

We became aware of the issue in other parts of the country (Kansas City and Denver) very early on and identified a possible index case of a febrile child with sudden worsening of asthma on Sept. 9, 2014. Medical management followed standard national recommendations with documentation of rapid recovery.

Sampling confirmed the presence of an enterovirus with immediate and appropriate communication to authorities. Exclusion from school instituted.

As the child was never ill enough to be hospitalized, specific typing could not be performed. There has been no other unusual respiratory virus related activity in our practice since that time.

Hence, comments about events of a month ago bear no meaningful relationship to the current scene.

It is difficult enough to practice medicine and to maintain public credibility without the added burden of inaccurate press releases and inadequate fact-checking. Witness the mess of health system errors and horrible reporting nationally on the Ebola virus situation.

Let us all try to do better locally.

Dr. Mark Fishaut/San Juan Island