Human parechovirus as a minor cause of acute otitis media in children

Saara Sillanpää; Sami Oikarinen; Markku Sipilä; Elina Seppälä; Noora Nurminen; Markus Rautiainen; Jussi Laranne; Heikki Hyöty

doi:10.1016/j.jcv.2014.11.002

Human parechovirus as a minor cause of acute otitis media in children

J Clin Virol. 2015 Jan:62:106-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2014.11.002. Epub 2014 Nov 8.

Authors

Saara Sillanpää¹, Sami Oikarinen², Markku Sipilä³, Elina Seppälä⁴, Noora Nurminen², Markus Rautiainen³, Jussi Laranne³, Heikki Hyöty⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 33520 Tampere, Finland; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tampere University Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 33520 Tampere, Finland. Electronic address: saara.sillanpaa@uta.fi.
² Department of Virology, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
³ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tampere University Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
⁴ Department of Dermatology, Tampere University Hospital, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
⁵ Department of Virology, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 33520 Tampere, Finland; Fimlab Laboratories, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33520 Tampere, Finland.

PMID: 25464964
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2014.11.002

Abstract

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) cause mild upper respiratory infections, gastrointestinal symptoms, central nervous system infections and some studies have linked them with acute otitis media (AOM). The aim of the present study was to study further the role of HPeV infections in AOM by detecting these viruses directly from middle ear fluid (MEF), respiratory and stool samples collected from children during AOM episodes. A total of 91 MEF samples, 98 nasal swab (NS) samples and 92 stool samples were collected during 100 AOM episodes in a total of 87 children aged between five to 42 months. All specimens were analyzed by real time RT-PCR for the presence of HPeV RNA. HPeV infection was diagnosed in 12 (14%) patients. HPeV RNA was detected in altogether 13 samples, including four MEF samples, three NS samples and six stool samples. One patient was positive in both stool and MEF samples. The results suggest that HPeV may play a role in some AOM cases, but it is not a major cause of AOM in children.

Keywords: Acute otitis media; Child; Human parechovirus; Infection; Picornavirus; Polymerase chain reaction.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Male
Otitis Media / diagnosis
Otitis Media / epidemiology*
Otitis Media / microbiology
Otitis Media / virology*
Parechovirus* / genetics
Picornaviridae Infections / diagnosis
Picornaviridae Infections / epidemiology*
Risk Factors
Seasons
Young Adult