[Echovirus 11 outbreak among premature newborn infants in a neonatal intensive care unit]

During a period of 3 weeks, 17 premature neonates 4 of them weighing less than 1000 g at birth became infected with echovirus 11 in a neonatal intensive-care unit. Beside 3 inapparent infections, severe 'septicaemic' illness was observed among 5 premature neonates combined with meningitis and apnoeic attacks. 4 neonates presented meningitis as the predominant clinical feature and 3 showed gastrointestinal symptoms without neurological involvement. 2 children experienced a febrile illness with apnoea and bradycardia. All babies recovered. Echovirus 11 could be isolated in 51 of 74 (68.9%) specimens, mainly from stool samples. The source of this epidemic outbreak has remained unclear. Virus isolations and serological examinations of antibodies of the IgM class showed that one mother and her eldest child and 3 staff members of the unit had been infected during this epidemic outbreak. The agent was identified as an antigenic variant of echovirus 11 resembling other echoviruses of this type which were isolated in other children hospitals in Bremen during this outbreak.