Authorities are warning of an infection that is been circulating amongst babies within the U.S. Called parechovirus (PeV), it will possibly cause severe illness in very young infants.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been receiving reports of PeV in “neonates and young infants” in multiple states since May, the agency said within the Health Alert Network (HAN) health advisory it issued Tuesday.

The alert goals to tell doctors and health departments that the virus is “currently circulating” within the U.S., the agency noted. As such, health care providers are encouraged to contemplate PeV when diagnosing infants which are presenting symptoms like fever, a “sepsis-like syndrome” or neurologic conditions corresponding to seizures and meningitis.

A newborn, identified by the name Ronan, is claimed to have died from PeV in Connecticut, WTNH reported. Based on baby Ronan’s parents, he began to be “very indignant” and cry “lots” when he was just 20 days old. He also had redness on his face and chest and shortly began having seizures that eventually became difficult to regulate. He died when he was just 34 days old.

Nonetheless, how the 2022 cases match as much as cases in “previous seasons” stays “unclear.” That is because “there’s presently no systematic surveillance for PeVs in the US,” the CDC said.

What Is Parechovirus?

Human PeVs are “common childhood pathogens” that are from the identical family as enteroviruses, which cause many childhood infections. Based on the CDC, among the many 4 PeV species, only PeV-A is thought to cause illness in humans. And among the many PeV-A types, PeV-A3 is the one which’s mostly linked to severe cases.

“Up to now, all PeV positive specimens tested and typed at CDC were type PeV-A3,” the agency explained.

PeV will be transmitted via contact with the breath, saliva or feces of somebody who’s infected, HealthDirect noted. That is no matter whether the person is symptomatic or not. People may get it by touching contaminated objects. For this reason it is important for individuals who are sick to practice good hygiene to assist prevent its spread.

It could actually manifest mild symptoms or no symptoms in any respect but may cause severe illness.

“Symptoms corresponding to upper respiratory tract infection, fever, and rash are common in children between 6 months and 5 years, with most youngsters having been infected by the point they begin kindergarten,” the CDC said. “Nonetheless, in infants lower than 3 months, severe illness can occur, including sepsis-like illness, seizures, and meningitis or meningoencephalitis, particularly in infants younger than 1 month.”

Other symptoms to look at out for in babies and younger children include diarrhea, fast respiratory, irritability, “floppiness,” drowsiness, seizures and “extreme tiredness,” Healthdirect noted.

To this point, there isn’t any “specific treatment” for PeV.