Key result
Human parechovirus infection in five young infants caused sepsis-like encephalitis characterized by tachycardia, irritability, and abdominal distension, notably without cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis.
Why the study?
Human parechovirus is the most common underrecognised cause of encephalitis in infants younger than 90 days, prompting a description of its clinical manifestations, laboratory features, and potential risk factors.
Case Report (n=5)
Yes
Highlights the necessity of CSF PCR for parechovirus in young infants presenting with sepsis-like illness and neurological signs, even if CSF inflammation is absent.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Case series of parechovirus encephalitis in infants <3 months leaves open risk-factor identification and management guidance pending larger studies.
Human parechovirus is the most common underrecognised aetiological agent of encephalitis in children younger than 90 days. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical manifestation, laboratory features, and potential risk factors for severe parechovirus-related sepsis-like encephalitis. The case series included five infants aged below three months diagnosed with sepsis-like parechovirus encephalitis. The diagnosis was based on the patients’ neurological symptoms, the criteria of sepsis defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and parechovirus-positive cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The majority of patients presented with irritability, fever, abnormal muscle tone, mottling, decreased activity, tachycardia, abdominal distension, and absence of neonatal developmental reflexes. No abnormalities in the cerebrospinal fluid were identified. Abnormal blood laboratory measurements included lymphopaenia, leukopaenia, and anaemia. The case series highlights the necessity to perform cerebrospinal fluid PCR for parechovirus in infants with sepsis-like illness and neurological signs but without cerebrospinal fluid signs of inflammation.
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Śladowska et al. (2023) conducted a case report in Sepsis-like HPeV encephalitis (n=5). Human parechovirus (HPeV) infection was evaluated on Clinical and laboratory characteristics. Human parechovirus infection in five young infants caused sepsis-like encephalitis characterized by tachycardia, irritability, and abdominal distension, notably without cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis.
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