Prevalence and phylogenetic characterization of enterovirus d68 in pediatric patients with acute respiratory tract infection in thailand.

PREVALENCE AND PHYLOGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ENTEROVIRUS D68 IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION IN THAILAND. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2015 Nov 13; Authors: Thongpan I, Wanlapakorn N, Vongpunsawad S, Linsuwanon P, Theamboonlers A, Payungporn S, Poovorawan Y Abstract Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was associated with severe lower respiratory tract infection and neurological abnormalities including acute myelitis and cranial nerve dysfunction. To determine whether the increased incidence of EV-D68 also occurs in Southeast Asia, we retrospectively tested specimens collected from Thai pediatric patients less than five years of age presented with acute respiratory tract infections between 2012 and 2014. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nucleotide sequencing of the 5'UTR/VP2 region were used to identify EV-D68. We also examined the epidemiological pattern of EV-D68 since 2009 when it was first identified in Thailand and compiled clinical manifestations of children with confirmed EV-D68 infection. From the total of 837 samples, 5 samples (0.6%) were confirmed positive for EV-D68. All patients presented viral pneumonia and required hospitalization. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP4/VP2 regions revealed that EV-D68 strains circulating in Thailand during the past three years were closely related to the strains reported in Japan, United Kingdom, China, and France. Continued surveillance of probable EV-D...
Source: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Jpn J Infect Dis Source Type: research