title: Enterovirus D68 and other enterovirus serotypes identified in South African patients with severe acute respiratory illness, 2009-2011.
abstract: Human enteroviruses (EV) have been associated with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) in South Africa.
  
  
  
  We aimed to describe the molecular epidemiology of EV serotypes among patients hospitalized with SARI during 2009-2011.
  
  
  
  Study samples from patients were tested for the presence of enterovirus using a polymerase chain reaction assay.
  
  
  
  8.2% (842/10 260) of SARI cases tested positive for enterovirus; 16% (7/45) were species EV-A, 44% (20/45) EV-B, 18% (8/45) EV-C and 22% (10/45) EV-D. Seventeen different EV serotypes were identified within EV-A to EV-D, of which EV-D68 (22%; 10/45) and Echovirus 3 (11%; 5/45) were the most prevalent.
  
  
  
  EV-D68 should be monitored in South Africa to assess the emergence of highly pathogenic strains.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.|University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Orienka
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9246-8927
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hellferscee
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Florette K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Treurnicht
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.|Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tempia
authors.affiliation: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.|Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Variava
authors.affiliation: Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.|Caprisa, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Halima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dawood
authors.affiliation: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.affiliation: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Adam L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Marthi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pretorius
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.|University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.|University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Shabir A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Madhi
authors.affiliation: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.|University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Marietjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030016:Enterovirus D, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D065288:Serogroup; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: EV-D68; South Africa; enterovirus; pneumonia