First Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases detected in hospitalised patients in a tertiary care university hospital in Spain, October 2014.
Several outbreaks of Enterovirus 68 (EV-D68) have recently been reported in the USA and Canada, causing substantial hospitalisation of children with severe respiratory disease. The acute flaccid paralysis detected in the USA and Canada among children with EV-D68 infection has raised concerns about the aetiological role of this EV serotype in severe neurological disease. The circulation of EV-D68 in the general European population seems to be low, but European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommends being vigilant to new cases, particularly in severely ill hospitalised patients. In October 2014, enteroviruses were detected in respiratory samples collected from five hospitalised patients, children and adults. Phylogenetic analysis of partial VP1 sequences confirmed that the detected enteroviruses belonged to the D68 serotype, which were also similar to strains reported in USA (2014). However, all five patients developed respiratory symptoms, but only one required ICU admission. None of the patients described had symptoms of neurological disease. Other considerations related to the detection methods used for the diagnosis of respiratory enteroviruses are also discussed. In conclusion, additional evidence has been provided that supports the role of EV-D68 in respiratory infections in hospitalised patients.
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Laura
L
Gimferrer
Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Magda
M
Campins
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Maria Gema
MG
Codina
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Juliana
J
Esperalba
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Maria Del Carmen
Mdel C
Martin
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Francisco
F
Fuentes
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Tomas
T
Pumarola
Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: aanton@vhebron.net.
Andres
A
Anton
D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D002648:Child; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D030016:Enterovirus D, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012703:Serotyping; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D015678:Viral Structural Proteins
EV-D68; Enfermedad respiratoria grave; Enterovirus 68; Hospitalised patient; Paciente hospitalizado; Severe respiratory disease; VP1