Outbreak of herpangina associated with Coxsackievirus B3 infection.
An outbreak of acute febrile illness was observed in summer, 1987, in a welfare home in which 31 healthy infants were accommodated. Within a 5-day period 25 infants (81%) acquired a febrile illness. Coxsackievirus B3 was isolated from 16 (64%) of 25 throat swabs. In the patients in whom viral culture was negative or not performed, 6 were serologically identified as having a coxsackievirus B3 infection. Among 22 patients identified as having a coxsackievirus B3 infection 7 had typical herpangina and the others had pharyngitis with or without a few small vesicles. Serum alpha-interferon was detected in all but 2 cases (one with proved infection and another with indefinite infection). Herpangina can be associated with coxsackievirus B3 as well as with the more frequently associated coxsackievirus Group A; this explosive type of outbreak might be transmitted by a small particle aerosol.
Nakayama
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Urano
T
T
Osano
M
M
Hayashi
Y
Y
Sekine
S
S
Ando
T
T
Makinom
S
S
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003289:Convalescence; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006557:Herpangina / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007370:Interferon Type I