Clinical Differences between Enterovirus and Human Parechovirus in Children and Infants

Purpose: Enteroviruses (EVs) and human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are important pathogens that cause fever in young infants and meningitis in children and have similar clinical symptoms and characteristics. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical symptoms and characteristics of EV and HPeV infections in young children and infants. Methods: From June to August 2018, we obtained 50 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, of which 36 and 14 were EV- and HPeV-positive, respectively, as determined by film array methods. We then compared the clinical characteristics and laboratory values of patients with EV and HPeV infections. Results: HPeV patients had a lower age than EV patients, but had similar sex predominance and fever duration. Moreover, EV patients had a higher prevalence of headache and mannitol use than HPeV patients. The blood and CSF white blood cell counts were lower among HPeV patients even after adjusting for sex and age. Furthermore, both viruses were found to cause occasional transient white matter injuries in the brain. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of HPeV and EV infections were found to be generally similar, but with a few noteworthy differences.