Parechovirus infection as a cause of necrotising enterocolitis in a premature neonate

Abstract

Parechovirus is becoming increasingly recognised as a cause of morbidity in the neonatal population. It is widely known to cause sepsis, encephalitis and myocarditis. We report a case of parechovirus as a possible cause of necrotising enterocolitis in a premature neonate. The infant, who was born at 28 weeks’ gestation, deteriorated at 1 month of life with fever and abdominal distension and had evidence of intramural bowel gas on imaging. Parechovirus was subsequently isolated from naso-oropharyngeal and rectal swabs, and he was managed medically with antibiotics and cessation of enteral feeds.

Detection of Parechovirus and Enterovirus Among Infants Evaluated for Late-onset Sepsis in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: The Viral Respiratory Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Parechovirus-Enterovirus Study

“…Only 6 infants presented with respiratory signs and 1 had meningitis. Angley at al 8 reported a 28 weeks of gestation male infant who developed necrotizing enterocolitis at 1 month of age. He presented with fever, abdominal distension and pneumatosis intestinalis, and HReV was detected from naso-oropharyngeal and rectal swabs.…”