Rapid syndromic molecular testing and human parechovirus infection in children: A report of three cases in Argentina.

Human parechovirus (HPeV) is one of the members of the family Picornaviridae that has been associated with fever of unknown origin, gastroenteritis, clinical sepsis, meningitis, or encephalitis in very young infants. HPeV detection is not routinely performed in most clinical microbiology laboratories in Argentina and, therefore, its real prevalence is unknown. We here report three cases of HPeV CNS infection that presented to our hospital with different clinical features after the implementation of a multiplex PCR meningitis/encephalitis panel. Molecular diagnostic techniques could help improve patient care and understand the real prevalence of this infection in Argentina.

Rapid syndromic molecular testing and human parechovirus infection in children: A report of three cases in Argentina / Diagnóstico molecular sindrómico rápido e infección por parechovirus humano en ninos: reporte de 3 casos en Argentina

Abstract Human parechovirus (HPeV) is one of the members of the family Picornaviridae that has been associated with fever of unknown origin, gastroenteritis, clinical sepsis, meningitis, orencephalitis in very young infants. HPeV detection is not routinely performed in most clinical microbiology laboratories in Argentina and, therefore, its real prevalence is unknown. We here report three cases of HPeV CNS infection that presented to our hospital with different clinical features after the implementation of a multiplex PCR meningitis/encephalitis panel. Molecular diagnostic techniques could help improve patient care and understand the real prevalence of this infection in Argentina.

Resumen Los parechovirus humanos (HPeV) son virus de la familia Picornaviridae, que se han asociado a diferentes cuadros clínicos, como fiebre de origen desconocido, gastroenteritis, sepsis, meningitis o encefalitis en ninos pequeños. Su detección no está disponible de rutina en la mayoría de los laboratorios de nuestro país, por lo que su prevalencia es desconocida. Reportamos 3 casos de infección del sistema nervioso central por HPeV con diferentes características clínicas, que se presentaron luego de la implementación de un panel molecular para el diagnóstico sindrómico de meningitis/encefalitis. Las técnicas de diagnóstico molecular podrían ayudar a mejorar el abordaje y el cuidado de estos pacientes, así como también a conocer la prevalencia de esta infección en Argentina.