Background: Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are common viruses mainly infecting young children. Most infections are mild, but HPeV3 causes severe CNS infections in new-born infants.
Objectives: The aim was to study the epidemiology of HPeVs in Finnish general population in the period 1996-2007, with special emphasis on the different types circulating in Finland.
Study design: A total of 2236 stool specimens were collected from 200 healthy Finnish children in a prospective birth cohort study, most before the age of 2 years. Samples were tested for the presence of HPeV RNA using a specific RT-PCR. The genotype of HPeV was determined by sequencing the VP1 genomic region.
Results: HPeV RNA was detected in 144 (6.4%) specimens from 78 (39%) children. The dominant type was HPeV1 (93% of the type-identified 105 samples), although types 3 and 6 were also identified. HPeV was found sequentially in more than one sample in 43 infections lasting up to 93 days. The positive findings were distributed equally in young ages and declined towards the age of 2 years. Infections clustered around the autumn months with no obvious change between years. No significant differences were seen between boys and girls.
Conclusions: HPeV is a common virus infecting Finnish children under 2 years of age. HPeVs circulate throughout the year with clear accumulation on autumn, also seen in individual years over the 11-year study period. The virus deserves increased attention and should be included in the test panel of clinical virus laboratories.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.