title: Enterovirus and Parechovirus viraemia in young children presenting to the emergency room: Unrecognised and frequent.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human Enterovirus (EV) and Parechovirus (HPeV) are well recognised as agents causing disease in neonates, but their importance is poorly described in the general paediatric population consulting with a suspicion of infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the prevalence of EV- or HPeV-associated infections in children presenting to a paediatric emergency department with a suspicion of infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma specimens collected in our paediatric emergency room for clinical reasons were screened by specific real-time RT-PCR for the presence of EV and HPeV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on an analyses of 233 plasma specimens, up to 6.9% and 2.6% were positive for EV and HPeV, respectively. Amongst the population <3y.o, prevalence of EV and HPeV viraemia was 11% and 3.7%, respectively. Importantly, 56.3% of positive EV specimens were detected in infants >3 months of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of EV and HPeV viraemia in children <3 years old is largely underestimated. Our results confirm that EV should be suspected and included in the work-up in children >3 months of age and not restricted to neonates.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Infectious Diseases Service, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: samuel.cordey@hcuge.ch.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cordey
authors.affiliation: University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland; Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Division of General Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: L'Huillier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Infectious Diseases Service, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turin
authors.affiliation: University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland; Paediatric Emergency Division, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gervaix
authors.affiliation: University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland; Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Division of General Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Posfay Barbe
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Infectious Diseases Service, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D030061:Parechovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: ER consultation; Paediatric; Viraemia