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Human parechovirus type 3 and 4 associated with severe infections in young children

Pekka Kolehmainen1, Anne Jääskeläinen, Soile Blomqvist

  • 1From the *Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki; †Department of Virology, University of Turku, Turku; ‡Department of Virology, University of Tampere, Tampere; §HUSLAB, Department of Virology and Immunology, Helsinki University Central Hospital; ¶National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, Virology Unit, Helsinki; and ‖Center for Child Research, Tampere University and University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|November 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Human parechovirus (HPeV) can cause severe illness in infants, including sepsis-like disease and central nervous system infections. This study identified HPeV4 in young children with severe symptoms, highlighting its role in serious infections.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

  • Human parechovirus (HPeV) infections present with diverse symptoms, ranging from mild to severe, including central nervous system involvement and sepsis-like disease.
  • Associations between HPeV and specific conditions like acute otitis media and lower respiratory infections require further investigation.
  • This study aimed to clarify the role of HPeV in specific pediatric infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between human parechovirus (HPeV) and acute otitis media, lower respiratory infections, and suspected central nervous system infections in children.
  • To identify specific HPeV types involved in severe pediatric infections.

Main Methods:

  • Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to detect HPeV RNA in various clinical samples.
  • Samples analyzed included middle-ear fluid, nasopharyngeal aspirates, cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and stool.
  • VP1 gene sequencing was used for typing positive HPeV samples.

Main Results:

  • Human parechovirus (HPeV) was detected in 8% of children with suspected central nervous system infections.
  • HPeV4 was identified in four infants (<3 months) with severe symptoms, including sepsis-like disease and cerebrospinal fluid involvement.
  • HPeV was found in 2.5% of acute otitis media cases, but not in lower respiratory infections.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that human parechovirus type 4 (HPeV4) is a potential cause of sepsis-like disease in young infants.
  • HPeV can be present in cerebrospinal fluid, indicating central nervous system involvement.
  • This study confirms the occurrence of HPeV infections with severe symptoms in children in Finland.
Abstract

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