SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — There are many kinds of enteroviruses. You might have heard of a few - like polioviruses, hepatitis A virus, echoviruses, and hand, foot and mouth disease. Most of these viruses cause mild illness in children but can severely affect newborns because their immune systems haven’t matured yet.
Now, the World Health Organization recently called attention to a specific type of enterovirus called echovirus-11. Nine newborns in France were infected with echovirus-11 and developed organ failure and sepsis, the body's extreme reaction to an infection. It’s a life-threatening complication and unfortunately, seven of the babies died. Additionally, in Italy, two infants were infected with the same enterovirus strain, and one became very sick and is still in intensive care. Also, in the United Kingdom, another type of enterovirus called coxsackievirus led to severe heart inflammation in 10 babies. Sadly, one of them died as well. Now, these numbers may not sound like a lot, but it’s more than we’d expect to see. And it’s very unusual to have such high fatality rates among affected newborns.
There is no specific treatment for enterovirus infection. Antibiotics won’t help because they don’t work on viral illnesses. But some babies will be given intravenous immunoglobulin. Immunoglobulin is part of the blood’s plasma and it contains antibodies. The hope is that it strengthens the child’s immune system so it can fight the infection.
As for cases in the U.S., yes, there’s been a slight rise in enterovirus infections among children. Most have mild symptoms like coughing, sneezing, sore throat, fever, and muscle aches. These usually go away in a few days. As for newborns, some hospitals are treating more babies than usual at this time of year that are sick with enteroviruses. Parents should watch for the symptoms I mentioned earlier, along with trouble breathing, not feeding well or acting extra fussy, and pale or blotchy skin. If your newborn becomes ill with any of these symptoms or you're concerned for any reason, it's best to reach out to your pediatrician right away.
This Week on the Dr. Nand show:
For millions of us, sleep is becoming a luxury rather than a necessity. The average American needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night to function at peak levels. However, too many are getting just over 6 hours of shut-eye. Research shows people who don’t sleep properly are 20% more likely to die in 20 years and have a five times higher risk of developing depression. In this episode, hear how daydreaming turned into a nightmare as a young man battled narcolepsy. Plus, a woman tries Hypno-trauma release, and Dr. Nandi undergoes a sleep apnea test. Experts discuss sleep disorders, and you’ll learn how embracing pain can make you sleep better. Tune in this Saturday July 8th at 5 pm.
