Non-specific febrile illness by Coxsackievirus A16 in a 6-day-old newborn

A case of non-specific febrile illness by Coxsackievirus A 16 (CA 16) in a 6-day-old newborn whose mother had developed hand, foot and mouth disease manifestations 2 days after delivery is reported. Notwithstanding the concurrence of negative circumstances like the presence of the enterovirus genome in the cerebrospinal fluid, absence of type specific neutralizing antibody and a few days of life, the newborn recovered 3 days after the onset of fever. This case, also characterized by the absence of mucosal and cutaneous erythematous manifestations typical of CA16 infection, draws attention to the possibility that non-specific febrile illness in newborns usually suspected of bacterial origin may have an enteroviral cause.