The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory to public health departments warning that human parechovirus (PeV) is circulating among infants and young children in multiple states across the country.
PeV refers to a collection of fairly common childhood pathogens that can cause an array of symptoms ranging from mild to severe, usually circulating in the summer and early fall months.
In most cases with children six months and older, the virus causes an upper respiratory infection, accompanied by a fever and rash. However, in infants three months and younger, PeV can cause seizures, brain swelling, and a “sepsis-like syndrome.”
The CDC issued its warning following the death of a 34-day-old Connecticut baby from PeV.
At 10 days from birth, “his parents noticed he was fussy, appeared tired, stopped feeding and had a rash,” posted Hartford HealthCare in an account of the infant’s death. “Still concerned, the DeLancys brought Ronan to the hospital. His oxygen levels dropped rapidly, and he began to have seizures. An MRI showed brain damage, and testing revealed that he had parechovirus.”
The virus left holes in his brain, and he died at barely a month old.
Dr. Andrew Wong, an internist with Hartford Healthcare, told FOX 8, “Over the last five years, we’ve begun to realize that through mutations and more virulent subtypes, these viruses, particularly parechovirus, can be fatal. If not fatal, it can cause lifelong debilities such as neuromuscular weakness and developmental delays.”
PeV can be spread when infected fecal particles, saliva, or respiratory droplets enter the mouth of an uninfected person. “Shedding” from the upper respiratory infection can last up to three months, making the virus quite contagious. The virus can stay alive even longer in the gastrointestinal tract.
The CDC does not usually track PeV because of how common the illness is. However, it continues to monitor the situation as more reports come in of severely-ill infants.
The agency advised pediatricians and other healthcare providers to consider PeV infection “in a neonate or infant presenting with fever, sepsis-like syndrome, or signs of neurologic involvement.” It also recommended hospitals and healthcare professionals familiarize themselves with PeV testing protocols and be sure to separate and group hospitalized infants suspected of having PeV.
The CDC’s health advisory stated further that “there is no specific treatment for PeV infection … However, diagnosing PeV in infants might change management strategies and provide important health information for families.”