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An outbreak of skin rash by echovirus 25 in an infant home
Insights
An echovirus 25 outbreak caused a skin rash and gastrointestinal issues in 15 infants and some staff at a Milan infant home. Virological examination confirmed echovirus 25 in stool samples.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- An outbreak of a skin eruption occurred in an infant home in Milan in September 1980.
- The outbreak affected 15 out of 25 children (aged 5-22 months) and some staff members.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the causative agent of the skin eruption and gastrointestinal symptoms in the infant home.
- To investigate the transmission of the infectious agent within the facility.
Main Methods:
- Clinical observation of symptoms including rash, fever, and gastrointestinal distress.
- Virological examination of stool specimens from affected children and staff.
- Isolation and identification of viral strains using primary monkey kidney cells.
Main Results:
- Affected children presented with a pink maculopapular rash, mild fever, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
- The exanthem lasted 3-4 days, primarily affecting the trunk and face.
- Echovirus 25 was isolated from the stools of 8 children and 1 adult staff member.
Conclusions:
- Echovirus 25 was identified as the causative agent of the outbreak.
- The findings highlight the potential for echovirus transmission in institutional settings like infant homes.
- Echovirus 25 can cause a distinct clinical presentation including exanthem and gastrointestinal symptoms in young children and adults.
Abstract:
In September 1980 an outbreak of a skin eruption occurring in an infant home in Milan involved 15 children (aged five to 22 months) out of a total of 25. All of them showed a pink maculopapular rash, three had slight fever and eight mild gastroenteric symptoms (diarrhoea). The exanthem lasted three to four days and was distributed over the trunk and the face and only affected the limbs partially. Mild gastroenteric symptoms (abdominal pain or diarrhoea) were reported also by five subjects out of 13 of the staff. Specimens of stools from the 15 affected children and from the five nurses were submitted for virological examination. A strain of echovirus 25 was isolated on primary monkey kidney cells from the stools of eight children and from one adult.