REMAINS CLOSED AS THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES. JOHNNY ROWLANDS NEWS CHOPPER 9. BACK DOWN TO YOU. MORE THAN A DOZEN BABIES IN THE METRO RECENTLY HOSPITALIZED WITH AN INFECTION THAT COULD CAUSE A FORM OF MENINGITIS. EXPERTS ARE STUDYING THIS OUTBREAK BUT MAYBE NOT FOR THE REASON YOU THINK. EVERY SUMMER THERE IS A SEASONAL OUTBREAK OF THIS ILLNESS CALLED PARECHOVIRUS. THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THESE LATEST PATIENTS. ANY TIME AN INFANT GETS SICK PARENTS ARE CONCERNED. THE PARECHOVIRUS USUALLY AFFECTS INFANTS THREE TO SIX WEEKS OLD. WITH THIS LATEST OUTBREAK, THE BABIES ARE YOUNGER, ONLY 1 TO 20 WEEKS OLD. ALL DIAGNOSED WITHIN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME. WE DON'T HAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT THERE'S ANY OUTBREAK IN ANY NURSERY, BUT WE ARE STUDYING THESE BABIES IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS TO SEE IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN OLDER BABIES. WHAT SHOULD PARENTS LOOK FOR? THE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT SUBTLE. DOCTORS CAN TEST FOR THE VIRUS. BABIES WITH PARECHOVIRUS TEND TO HAVE HIGH FEVER, BE IRRITABLE AND HAVE HAY HIGH PITCH CRY. THEY HAVE A LITTLE RASH OVER THE TONGUE AND ABDOMINAL DISSENSION. THEY DON'T WANT TO NEED AND THEY'RE NOT SLEEPING. NOW AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER, PARECHOVIRUS MENINGITIS IS CAUSED BY A VIRUS. MOST BABIES MAKE A FULL RECOVERY. EXPERTS SAY AT LAST CHECK, ALL 14 BABIES IN THIS CLUSTER ARE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND RECOVERING WELL. SO, KELLY, IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC TREATMENT?