תקציר
Life-Threatening Echovirus 11 Infection During First Month of Life
U. Rubinstein, M. Weisbrod, B. Garty
Neonatal Dept., Laniado Hospital, Kiriat Zans, Natanya; and Pediatrics B, Dept., Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petah Tikva
Infection with Echovirus 11 is mostly asymptomatic, but it may cause a wide variety of clinical diseases, from gastroenteritis to serious diseases such as meningitis and myocarditis. In small infants, especially during the first days of life, echovirus infection may appear as a sepsis-like illness, and cause disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and shock.
We present 2 infants with severe echovirus 11 infections. A 3.5-month old died within 24 hours of shock and probably myocarditis. The other, 6-days old, presented with meningitis, hepatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. It recovered after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin.
Echovirus 11 may cause life-threatening infections in small infants. Pediatricians should be alert to the special characteristics of this disease.