U.S. CDC Warns On Dangers Of Parechovirus Infecting Infants

A virus that is hazardous to children is spreading throughout the United States, and parents and physicians should be on the watch for symptoms, according to federal health experts, as reported by MedicalNews.

Photo Insert: Parechovirus has caused at least one baby death and has surfaced in other states.

According to a health advisory issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in May, Parechovirus has caused at least one baby death and has surfaced in other states.

According to the CDC, human parechoviruses are frequent pediatric diseases that are spread through respiratory droplets or the fecal-oral route.

Symptoms such as upper respiratory tract infection, fever, and rash are prevalent in children aged 6 months to 5 years. Most children have been infected by parechoviruses by the time they start kindergarten.

According to the CDC, however, the viruses can cause severe illness in infants younger than 3 months, including sepsis, seizures, meningitis, and meningoencephalitis. This is especially dangerous for infants less than one month.

Throughout its advisory, the CDC cautioned physicians that these viruses spread in the summer and fall and should be regarded as a possible infection in infants exhibiting fever, sepsis, or neurological symptoms.

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