Comparing the Clinical Severity of Disease Caused by Enteroviruses and Human Parechoviruses in Neonates and Infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Virology

Background:

• Enterovirus and human parechovirus (HPeV) are common causes of central nervous system infections in children.
• Distinguishing clinical features and outcomes between these viral infections are crucial for timely management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical presentation and hospitalization outcomes of children with enterovirus versus HPeV detected in cerebrospinal fluid.
• To identify key differences that may inform clinical decision-making and resource allocation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective comparison of hospitalized pediatric patients with confirmed enterovirus or HPeV in cerebrospinal fluid.
• Analysis of clinical data including fever duration, presenting symptoms, laboratory findings (leukopenia, lymphopenia), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates.

Main Results:

• Human parechovirus (HPeV) infections were associated with more persistent fever, irritability, and feeding problems.
• Leukopenia, lymphopenia, and higher admission rates to high dependency or intensive care units were more frequent in HPeV cases.
• Limited follow-up data were available for HPeV cases.

Conclusions:

• HPeV infections present with distinct and potentially more severe clinical features than enterovirus infections in hospitalized children.
• The higher ICU admission rates for HPeV underscore the need for vigilant monitoring and management.
• Further research is required to understand the long-term outcomes of HPeV infections in pediatric populations.