The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are saying that a rare virus is likely the cause of hundreds of cases of respiratory illnesses that have hit children across the country.

According to a story from The Denver Post, officials at Children's Hospital Colorado have treated more than 900 children for severe respiratory illnesses since August 18, with 86 admitted to the hospital. The Columbus Dispatch reported 73 patients admitted to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus suffering from respiratory ailments.

The illness appears to be most common among very young children and children who have asthma according to the CDC.

Ten states have contacted the CDC for assistance in investigating clusters of enterovirus according to CNN -- Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

The unusually high number of hospitalizations reported now could be "just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases," Mark Pallansch, a virologist and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Viral Diseases told CNN Sunday.

"We're in the middle of looking into this. We don't have all the answers yet."

For the full story, see The Columbus Dispatch.