A case of neonatal human parechovirus encephalitis with a favourable outcome

Abstract

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are a new family of neurotropic viruses that cause central nervous system (CNS) infections similar to enterovirus (EVs) meningoencephalitis in the neonatal period, resulting in white matter lesions that can be visualized with cranial ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging, and correlated to a large spectrum of neurological outcomes. HPeV should be suspected in neonates with signs and symptoms of sepsis-like illness or CNS disease. We report a case of neonatal HPeV encephalitis, diagnosed on the basis of clinical and radiological findings and HPeV RT-PCR, with a good neurological outcome.

Keywords: CNS; CSF; DWI; EV; Enterovirus; HPeV; ICU; MRI; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neonatal encephalitis; Parechovirus; RT-PCR; central nervous system; cerebral spinal fluid; diffusion-weighted imaging; human enterovirus; human parechovirus; intensive care unit; magnetic resonance imaging; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.