Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Enterovirus Infections in Children: A Single Center Analysis from 2006 to 2010

Abstract

† , Jecheon Myongji Hospital, Jecheon-si, Chungbuk, Korea Purpose:This study was performed to investigate the epidemiology of enterovirus (EV) infections in children at a secondary hospital during recent 5 years. Methods:We collected the cerebrospinal fluid, stool and throat swab samples from the pediatric patients with suspected EVinfections in KEPCO Medical Center, Seoul, Korea from July 2006 to September 2010. EVdetection and genotype identi- fication were performed by RT-PCR at Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results:A total of 386 samples were collected from 277 patients during study period. Ninety-eight patients (35.4%) were diagnosed with EV infections. The RT-PCR positive rate was the highest in throat swab samples (48.3%). The median age of patient was 4.7 years (range, 0.1-12.5 years). Aseptic meningitis (50, 51.0%) was the most common clinical manifestation; herpangina (22, 22.4%) and hand-foot-mouth disease (18, 18.4%). One hundred EVs were isolated from 98 patients and 20 genotypes of EV were identified; Echovirus 30 (28 cases, 28%), Enterovirus 71 (12 cases, 12%), Echovirus 25 (10 cases, 10%), Echovirus 9 (9 cases, 9%) and Coxsackievirus A6 (8 cases, 8%). Aseptic meningitis caused by Echovirus 30 was the most common manifestation in 2008. There was no complicated case caused by Enterovirus 71. Conclusion:This study showed the epidemiology of confirmed EV infection in children from 2006 to 2010. There is a need for continuous surveillance of EV infections and its clinical manifestations. (Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis 2013;20:81-88)