Outbreak of Enterovirus D68 Among Children in Japan—Worldwide Circulation of Enterovirus D68 Clade B3 in 2018. Issue 1 (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ikuse, Tatsuki; Aizawa, Yuta; Yamanaka, Takayuki; Habuka, Rie; Watanabe, Kanako; Otsuka, Taketo; Saitoh, Akihiko
• Is Part Of: Pediatric infectious disease journal. Volume 40:Issue 1(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: enterovirus D68 -- Japan -- clade B3 -- outbreak -- asthma; Communicable diseases in children -- Periodicals; Infection in children -- Periodicals; 618.929
• DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002889
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0891-3668

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) causes asthma-like respiratory infection in children. Several EV-D68 outbreaks have been reported worldwide since the largest outbreak occurred in the United States in 2014. We experienced an accumulation of pediatric cases with asthma-like respiratory illness in Niigata, Japan, in 2018. Study design: To determine whether EV-D68 was responsible for the case accumulation, this prospective observational study evaluated children hospitalized in 1 of 8 hospitals with asthma-like respiratory illness in Niigata, Japan, during October and November 2018. Diagnoses were made by EV-D68–specific RT-PCR using nasopharyngeal samples. The clade was identified by sequence analyses, and a phylogenetic tree was created. To evaluate seasonal variation, data from pediatric cases with asthma-like respiratory illness in 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: In 2018, 114 children were hospitalized with asthma-like respiratory illness in October and November, and 47 nasopharyngeal samples were collected. EV-D68 was detected in 22/47 (47%) patients during the study period. The phylogenetic tree revealed that all strains belonged to the clade B3 branch, which has been detected worldwide every 2 years since 2014. Conclusions: EV-D68 was the associated pathogen for asthma-like respiratory illness in children in Japan in 2018. Clade B3, the dominant clade in outbreaks worldwide, was responsible for the outbreak. Detection and detailed virologic analysis of EV-D68 is important as part of worldwide surveillance, as it will aid in understanding the epidemiologic characteristics of EV-D68 infection. Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.