ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nosocomial infections by respiratory viruses undetected by rapid tests are not often diagnosed. For paediatric patients with background diseases, nosocomial infection could be fatal. AIM: To determine the relationship between developing symptoms by respiratory viruses undetectable by rapid tests and respiratory risks and to improve the management of infection control. METHODS: Two episodes of nosocomial infection by human bocavirus (HBoV) and human rhinovirus (HRV) were retrospectively investigated in a tertiary hospital paediatric ward in Japan. Viruses were identified by polymerase chain reaction to determine infection control management. When viruses of the same species were detected from different patients, the virus homology was investigated. The relationship between respiratory risks and developing symptoms was statistically investigated. FINDINGS: Three and four patients with respiratory risks in the HBoV and HRV outbreaks, respectively, developed respiratory symptoms. The nucleotide sequences of two patients in the HBoV outbreak and all four patients in the HRV outbreak were phylogenetically close. In both outbreaks, the patients with respiratory risks developed significantly more symptoms than those without any risk (P = 0.035 and 0.018, respectively). After the patients with respiratory infection were separated from those with respiratory risks, no additional nosocomial infection occurred. CONCLUSION: Patients with respiratory risks easily develop respiratory symptoms and acquire severe symptoms of nosocomial infection by those viruses. In a paediatric ward, we should adopt not only standard precautions but also isolation management of the patients with respiratory symptoms, even if they have negative results in rapid tests.
Subject(s)
Cross Infection/epidemiology , Human bocavirus/isolation & purification , Parvoviridae Infections/epidemiology , Picornaviridae Infections/epidemiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Rhinovirus/isolation & purification , Child, Preschool , Female , Hospitals, Pediatric , Human bocavirus/classification , Human bocavirus/genetics , Humans , Infant , Japan/epidemiology , Male , Molecular Epidemiology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Retrospective Studies , Rhinovirus/classification , Rhinovirus/genetics , Risk Factors , Tertiary Care CentersABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: To determine how long the measles virus genome was detected in a patient with congenital measles, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were tested for 203 d. The measles virus genome was detected up to 140 d. CONCLUSION: The period for which the measles virus genome was detected in this patient with congenital measles was much longer than in normal children with measles.
Subject(s)
Genome, Viral , Measles virus/genetics , Measles/congenital , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Measles virus/isolation & purification , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Two cases of acute encephalopathy in young children clearly showed evidence of influenza A virus infection and bilateral thalamic lesions. Influenza-associated encephalopathy with bilateral thalamic lesions has mostly been reported in Japan; it differs from Reye's syndrome in several respects. Other factors in addition to influenza virus infection may have contributed to the etiology of encephalopathy in our case patients.
