Health authorities from Kansas City are recently investigating a viral case that involved 14 infants infected with a virus.
The infection was caused by HPeV3, a group of viruses commonly called human parechoviruses, which emerged as an important cause of different ailments for very young children. It is associated with central nervous infections that result to meningitis for newborns.
The human parechoviruses are mild and some display no symptoms at all. But they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory illnesses.
Other than that, it can also cause severe inflammatory response that can lead to fever, rash, irritability, and even seizures.
The infection reports started in June. Reports were filed by Shawnee Mission Medical Center and Children’s Mercy Hospital to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment .
Although the cases have been labeled “a possible cluster of infections”, a spokeswoman for KDHE Aimee Rosenow said that it is still unknown if there are any common factor linking these cases because it’s too early to tell.
Among the infected infants, 9 came from Kansas City while five came from Missouri.
None of the 14 infants have died but all of them required hospitalization. Kansas Department of HEalth and Environment is now trying to determine if there were other reported incidence similar to the cases of the 14 infants.