Prevalence and clinical features of encephalomyocarditis virus infection in children with acute respiratory infection or digestive tract infection

Abstract

Objective To investigate the possible existence of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) in children with acute respiratory infection or digestive tract infection. Methods Nasopharyngeal aspirates from 577 children with acute respiratory infection and fecal samples from 384 children with digestive tract infection in Tianjin Children′s Hospital were collected from January 2013 to December 2013.Viral nucleic acid was extracted, and EMCV infection was determined by using real-time quantitative PCR.Positive PCR products were sequenced.The sequencing results were aligned with known gene sequences of EMCV sequences in GenBank.Other common respiratory tract or digestive tract viruses were also detected.Direct immunofluorescence was used to detect 7 common respiratory viruses; colloidal gold labeled method was used to detect rotavirus and adenovirus; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect avastrovirus; PCR was used to detect human rhinovirus, WU polyomavirus, KI polyomavirus, human bocavirus, norovi-ruses, enteroviruses, Aichi virus and human parechovirus.Real-time PCR was used to detect saffold virus. Results Seven(1.2%) nasopharyngeal aspirates from children with acute respiratory infection were positive for EMCV.These children aged 1-6 months.The infection seasons were in autumn and winter.Eleven(2.9%) fecal samples from children with digestive tract infection were positive for EMCV.Positive specimens were in patients less than 1 year of age and 4-7 years of age.EMCV was identified in other 3 seasons except spring.The clinical diagnosis of the EMCV-po-sitive patients were fever or diarr-hea, which was similar with other respiratory tract or digestive tract viruses.There were 88.9% (16/18 cases) of these EMCV infected children lived in suburbs or countryside.There were a few co-infections with EMCV and other respiratory tract or digestive tract viruses.There was no obvious difference in the clinical symptoms between EMCV-positive patients with or without coinfection. Conclusions Infection of EMCV often occurs in children with acute respiratory infection or digestive tract infection in China.Some of acute respiratory infection or digestive tract infection in pediatric patients was related to EMCV. Key words: Encephalomyocarditis virus; Acute respiratory infection; Digestive tract infection; Child