Molecular epidemiology of human Parechovirus infections in central nervous system-related disease and spsis in children / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To obtain the molecular epidemiology of human Parechovirus (HPeV)infections m children with central nervous system (CNS)-related disease and sepsis,as well as understand the pathogenic properties of HPeV infections by detecting HPeV in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples.Methods From January to December in the year of 2009,a total of 359enterovirus-negative specimens including 210 CSF and 149 blood samples were collected from 328children ＜14 years of age who were hospitalized for CNS-related disease and sepsis at Children's Hospital,Fudan University,Shanghai,China.HPeV was detected by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),and then directly genotyped by sequencing nested RT-PCR product of VP3/VP1 region.Ninty-nine blood samples from healthy children were collected as controls during the same period.Results Twenty-seven children (8.2％) were HPeV positive in 328 children.HPeV infections were found in all age groups of children and the highest frequency was seen in children ＜3 months old (18.2％,12/66).HPeV was detected in several months,with the peak in December (18.8％,9/48).Of all the positive samples,20 were genotyped successfully and identified to be HPeV1.No HPeV infections were found in blood of healthy controls.ConclusionsHPeV is the pathogen of CNS infections and sepsis in children.HPeV screening should be enrolled in the routine virus testing in specimens obtained from children.HPeV1 is the prevalent type in children in the year of 2009 in Shanghai.