Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain
05:51

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain

Published on: July 24, 2016

Virus infections among young children--the first year of the INDIS study

Marja-Leena Simonen-Tikka1, Päivi Klemola, Sointu Suomenrinne

  • 1Virology Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.

Journal of Medical Virology
|June 25, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Most children under 24 months with genetic type 1 diabetes risk experienced viral infections. Human rhinovirus and enterovirus were most common, with mixed infections frequent in this high-hygiene population.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Early childhood infections are common and may influence immune system development.
  • Children with genetic predisposition to type 1 diabetes may have altered responses to infections.
  • Understanding viral prevalence in young children is crucial for public health and disease prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency and types of viral infections in healthy Finnish children at high genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.
  • To identify the most prevalent viral agents, including enteric and respiratory viruses, in young children.
  • To investigate the occurrence of single versus multiple viral infections in the study cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up study (INDIS) in Turku, Finland, involving 45 children aged 24 months or younger.
  • Collection of parallel stool and nasal swab specimens during infectious episodes (2009-2010).
  • Analysis of enteric and respiratory viruses using validated virus-specific real-time PCR methods.

Main Results:

  • A high prevalence of viral infections was observed, with 96% of children experiencing at least one infection.
  • Viral agents were detected in 76% of all collected specimen sets.
  • The most common viruses identified were human rhinovirus (57.5%), enterovirus (28.8%), parechovirus (19.4%), and norovirus GII (6.9%).
  • Multiple infections (two or more agents) were detected in 36.3% of specimens.
  • Human enterovirus was found more frequently in nasal swabs than in stool specimens, contrary to expectations.

Conclusions:

  • Healthy young children, even those with genetic risk for type 1 diabetes, frequently experience multiple viral infections.
  • Human rhinovirus and enterovirus are significant contributors to the viral infectious disease burden in early childhood.
  • The higher detection rate of enterovirus in nasal swabs warrants further investigation in high-hygiene settings.

Keywords:
childhoodtype 1 diabetesvirus infection

More Related Videos

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection09:01

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Published on: December 10, 2013

Visualizing Field Data Collection Procedures of Exposure and Biomarker Assessments for the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial in India09:33

Visualizing Field Data Collection Procedures of Exposure and Biomarker Assessments for the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial in India

Published on: December 23, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Viral Meningitis01:18

Viral Meningitis

Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis and is often referred to as aseptic meningitis to indicate the absence of bacterial involvement. It is generally milder than bacterial meningitis, with symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, nausea, photophobia, and vomiting. Rarely, more severe manifestations or death may occur. Common causative agents include enteroviruses, particularly coxsackie A and B viruses and echoviruses, all members of the Enterovirus genus...
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction01:28

Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction

Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, most commonly hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Despite variations in structure and transmission, all viruses mentioned infect hepatocytes and provoke immune responses that can hinder liver function. Additionally, some non-hepatotropic viruses can also lead to hepatic inflammation.Hepatitis A VirusHepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the fecal–oral route, typically by ingestion of food...
Human Virome01:26

Human Virome

The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence01:28

Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence

Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable temporal or...
Arboviral Encephalitis01:25

Arboviral Encephalitis

Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...