Key result
Single parechovirus A detection is linked to ~11-fold higher odds of URTI versus LRTI in children.
Why the study?
The role of parechovirus A in respiratory tract infections in children remains unclear.
Does Parechovirus A infection impact clinical manifestations and disease severity in children with respiratory tract infections?
Observational (n=3,713)
No
Does Parechovirus A infection impact clinical manifestations and disease severity in children with respiratory tract infections?
Effect estimate: OR 11.3 (95% CI 3.1-41.3)
Single Parechovirus A detection is associated with mild upper respiratory tract infections like pharyngitis and tonsillitis in children, but its co-detection does not worsen disease severity in those with RSV or HRV.
Suggests parechovirus A is primarily associated with upper rather than lower respiratory infections; leaves open whether.
Background The role of parechovirus A (PeV-A) in respiratory tract infections (RTI) in children remains unclear. Objectives and methods We used clinical and virological data from two observational studies to study PeV-A in RTIs in children: a study of children admitted to hospital with RTI, and a study of children examined for RTI while attending day care centres. All had clinical examination and one nasopharyngeal aspirate analysed for PeV-A and 18 other viruses and bacteriae by culture and PCR-tests. Results In the hospital study 4.6% (15/323) PeV-A positive RTIs were single virus detections. In 95.4% (308/323) other viruses were co-detected, including 28 with PeV-A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and 77 with PeV-A and human rhinovirus (HRV). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed strong association between single PeV-A and upper RTI (URTI) vs. lower RTI (LRTI) (age-adjusted OR 11.3, 95% CI 3.1−41.3). By retrospective evaluation of medical records, PeV-A was a likely cause of mainly pharyngitis and tonsillitis in 10/15 children with single PeV-A. In multivariable logistic regression modelling the presence of PeV-A had no impact on clinical manifestations and short-term outcomes in children with codetected RSV and HRV. In the day-care study PeV-A was detected in 30 children, among who 8/10 with single PeV-A had pharyngitis and tonsillitis. Conclusion Single PeV-A detection was associated with pharyngitis and tonsillitis among children in day-care and hospital. Most hospitalized children with PeV-A had LRTI and viral codetections, but the presence of PeV-A did not impact disease severity in those with RSV and HRV.
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Skanke et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Respiratory tract infection (n=3,713). Single Parechovirus A (PeV-A) detection vs. Lower respiratory tract infection / viral codetections was evaluated on Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) vs lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) (OR 11.3, 95% CI 3.1-41.3). Single parechovirus A detection was strongly associated with upper respiratory tract infections compared to lower respiratory tract infections in children (age-adjusted OR 11.3).
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