A 10-year-old girl from Rhode Island who died last week after testing positive for the enterovirus 68 marks the fourth death linked to the outbreak that began last month.

The Rhode Island Department of Health announced on Wednesday that Emily Otrando from Cumberland, Rhode Island had passed away due to a rare combination of the enterovirus 68 and a staph infection.

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"Infection by both Staphylococcus aureus sepsis and EV-D68 is a very rare combination that can cause very severe illness in children and adults," they wrote in a statement, explaining how the 10-year-old girl died.

Emily showed minor symptoms similar to the common cold which quickly worsened, prompting a 911 call from her parents. Medical personnel who treated the girl noted how her condition "deteriorated very quickly" a few moments after she arrived at the hospital.

Following the Rhode Island announcement, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the girl is the fourth patient infected with the respiratory virus to die this year.

However, it is yet to be clarified whether or not the virus played a key role in the deaths.

Deaths linked to enterovirus 68 have received special attention since its outbreak this summer, as it has sent unusually large numbers of youngsters to hospitals within the past month.

According to the CDC, about 500 people from 42 states in the country have been confirmed to have respiratory illnesses caused by the enterovirus 68 as of Wednesday.

On Monday, the CDC declared that it is investigating whether the virus is responsible for temporary limb paralysis that happened to some nine young patients in Colorado.

The enterovirus 68 initially guises as a common cold but rapidly worsens and turns into a serious threat to children, particularly those who have asthma and other respiratory ailments prior to contracting the virus.

Symptoms of the virus include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. 

Tagsenterovirus 68, rhode island, outbreak, US, states, CDC, Virus