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Enterovirus B types cause severe infection in infants aged 0-3 months
Xiaohan Yang1, Lei Duan2, Wenli Zhan1
1Medical Genetic Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China.
Insights
Enterovirus infections are more severe in young infants, with Enterovirus-B types being a primary cause. Identifying risk factors like age and viral type is crucial for preventing severe outcomes in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Enterovirus (EV) infections present with increased severity in young infants compared to older children.
- Risk factors associated with EV infection in infants remain inadequately investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and genetic features of Enterovirus infections in hospitalized infants.
- To identify independent predictors for severe EV infection in infants.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study was conducted on hospitalized children with laboratory-confirmed EV infection.
- The study included 50 infants aged 0-3 months and 65 older than 3 months at a tertiary care center in China.
Main Results:
- Severe EV infection was significantly more common in infants aged 0-3 months (78.0%) versus older children (35.4%).
- Enterovirus-B (EV-B) types were more prevalent in younger infants (88.0%) and associated with severe outcomes, including pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
- Independent predictors for severe EV infection included EV-B types, age under 3 months, elevated alanine aminotransferase, and abnormal platelet or cerebrospinal fluid characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Enterovirus-B types are the main cause of severe infections in infants under 3 months old.
- Understanding EV-B types and associated risk factors can inform the development of effective intervention and prevention strategies for severe EV infections in young infants.
Background:
Enterovirus (EV) infections are being increasingly seen in younger infants, often being more severe than in older children. The risk factors of EV infection in infants have been inadequately investigated till date.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study on hospitalized children with laboratory-confirmed EV infection (50 infants aged 0-3 months and 65 older than 3 months) at a tertiary care center in China. Prevalence, clinical characteristics, and genetic features of the virus were analyzed, and independent predictors for severe infection were assessed.
Results:
Clinical findings showed that severe infection was more common in infants aged 0-3 months than in older children (78.0% vs. 35.4%, p < 0.001), with higher morbidity of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis (p < 0.01). EV-B types were detected more frequently in infants aged 0-3 months than in older children (88.0% vs. 7.7%, p < 0.001). Echovirus 11 was the most identified EV-B, and it recombined with E6 in P2 and P3 regions. Risk factors for severe EV infection included EV-B types infection, age less than 3 months, elevated alanine aminotransferase level, abnormal platelet count, and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid characteristics.
Conclusions:
Our data indicated that EV-B types mainly cause severe infection in infants aged 0-3 months. Therefore, knowledge about EV-B types could have implications in designing effective intervention and prevention strategies for young infants with severe EV infection.
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