title: Human parechovirus seroprevalence in Finland and the Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are RNA viruses associated with mild gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children, but may also cause neonatal sepsis and CNS infections in infants. While the prevalence of HPeVs is known mostly among hospitalized populations, the knowledge of HPeV seroprevalence in the general population is poor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify and compare the HPeV1-6 seroprevalence in Finnish and Dutch populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A type specific microneutralization assay was set up for detecting neutralizing antibodies (nABs) against HPeV types 1-6. Altogether 616 serum samples from Finnish and Dutch population were analyzed for antibodies against HPeVs. The samples were collected from Finnish children aged 1, 5 or 10 years, Finnish adults, 0- to 5-year-old Dutch children, Dutch women of childbearing age and Dutch HIV-positive men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both adult populations, seropositivity was high against HPeV1 (99% in Finnish and 92% in Dutch samples) and HPeV2 (86% and 95%). Against HPeV4, the seropositivity was similar (62% and 60%). In Dutch adults, nABs against HPeV5 and 6 (75% and 74%) were detected more often than in Finnish adults (35% and 57%, respectively). In contrast, seropositivity against HPeV3 was as low as 13% in the Finnish and 10% in the Dutch adults. The seroprevalence of all HPeV types increased with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The seroprevalence of HPeVs is high in Finnish and Dutch populations and HPeV type 2 and types 4-6 are significantly more prevalent compared to earlier reports. The seroprevalence of antibodies observed against HPeV3 was low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Westerhuis
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolehmainen
authors.forename: Kimberley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benschop
authors.forename: Noora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nurminen
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koen
authors.forename: Marjaleena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koskiniemi
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Simell
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knip
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hyöty
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolthers
authors.forename: Sisko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tauriainen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D030061:Parechovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: CPE; Epidemiology; HPeV; Human parechovirus; Microneutralization; Seroepidemiology; Seroprevalence; cytopathic effect; human parechovirus; nAB; neutralizing antibody