A virus commonly found in toddlers is now spreading through hospitals’ neonatal wards, putting infants at risk for long-term complications and death, NBC News reports.
Like many viruses, parechovirus typically infects children from infancy to 5 years of age who recover after a few days of mild fever, nausea and gastric discomfort, while many are asymptomatic. Many times, the virus manifests with rashes on the child’s hands and feet, leading to its nickname, “the mittens and booties rash.” Like dozens of other viruses, most children naturally fend off the virus without medical intervention, which helps to develop their natural immune systems.
The circulating variant of the virus, A3, appears to target younger children, according to an advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In infants, the variant can lead to more severe complications, including neurological issues like lethargy, seizures, an inability to eat or persistent fussiness that cannot be consoled in a percentage of patients. Severe cases can lead to seizures and a reduction in white blood cell production in the brain and spinal cord.
The uptick in parechovirus cases is believed to be an after-effect of the isolation brought on the coronavirus pandemic, when children were separated from others and therefore were not exposed to the virus. There is no treatment for the infection.