Abstract
Enterovirus 68 (EV68) is a rare enterovirus associated with respiratory illness that, unlike other enteroviruses, has been identified only from respiratory specimens. We identified EV68 from respiratory specimens of children hospitalized with a diagnosis of severe pneumonia in Leyte, Republic of the Philippines. Twenty-one samples showed high similarity with EV68 by sequencing of 5' nontranslated region; 17 of these samples were confirmed as EV68 by sequencing of viral protein 1 capsid coding region. Most previously reported EV68 cases had been identified as sporadic cases. All 21 patients we identified had severe illness, and 2 died, possibly the first reported fatal cases associated with EV68 infection. Our study suggests that EV68 may be a possible causative agent of severe respiratory illnesses.
Highlights
Enterovirus 68 (EV68) is a rare enterovirus associated with respiratory illness that, unlike other enteroviruses, has been identified only from respiratory specimens
EV70 is associated with acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis [1], and EV94, a newly found serotype in Human enterovirus (HEV)-D, was identified among enteroviruses associated with acute flaccid paralysis [2,3]
We report a cluster of EV68 infections among hospitalized children with severe acute respiratory illness in the Eastern Viasayas Region of the Philippines during 2008–2009
Summary
Enterovirus 68 (EV68) is a rare enterovirus associated with respiratory illness that, unlike other enteroviruses, has been identified only from respiratory specimens. We identified EV68 from respiratory specimens of children hospitalized with a diagnosis of severe pneumonia in Leyte, Republic of the Philippines. All 21 patients we identified had severe illness, and 2 died, possibly the first reported fatal cases associated with EV68 infection. EV68 shares the main characteristics of HRV, which is acid sensitive and grows at a lower optimal temperature [5,8]. These characteristics may explain why EV68 had been isolated only from the respiratory tract [5]. We report a cluster of EV68 infections among hospitalized children with severe acute respiratory illness in the Eastern Viasayas Region of the Philippines during 2008–2009
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