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Spain detects first cases of rare enterovirus in children

Yesterday 14:10 By: Zahouani Ilham

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A recent study from the Carlos III Health Institute in Spain has revealed the detection of five cases of a rare enterovirus in children between 2019 and 2024. This enterovirus, also identified in other European countries, is linked to both respiratory and neurological diseases, prompting calls for heightened surveillance.

Phylogenetic analyses of the virus strains found in Spain show that four of them belong to an emerging lineage called C1, which is characterized by four mutations in critical regions of the virus. These mutations could potentially enable the virus to evade the immune system or spread more rapidly.

The enterovirus in question is of the C105 genotype (EV-C105), a strain that had not been confirmed in Spain since the virus surveillance began in 2006. The significance of these findings by the Enterovirus and Viral Gastroenteritis Unit at the National Microbiology Center (CNM) cannot be overstated.

The study, published in Eurosurveillance by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), documents one case from 2019, two from 2023, and two from 2024 in children aged 2 to 10. One of the children was hospitalized for meningitis, while another was treated for acute flaccid paralysis.

Enteroviruses are a group of viruses that can cause a wide range of illnesses, from mild respiratory issues to severe neurological conditions.

The research further emphasizes the association of EV-C105 with neurological diseases. While only two global cases of EV-C105 linked to neurological disorders had been previously documented, this study confirms that the virus is not only present in respiratory illnesses but also has a stronger connection to neurological diseases.

Although EV-C105 remains a relatively unknown virus, its recent emergence in Spain and Europe may pose a new public health challenge. The researchers emphasize the need for continuous surveillance and comprehensive efforts to detect the virus, which will be crucial in understanding its impact and preventing potential future outbreaks.

Since 2023, EV-C105 has been on the rise in countries such as the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Despite the increase, there is still limited clinical and genomic data on the virus. This highlights the necessity for enhanced genomic surveillance and the expansion of EV-C105 sequence databases, given its potential to cause severe diseases and its rapid spread across Europe.

Researchers stress the importance of improving monitoring to identify additional C1 strains that could be causing more neurological infections in children across Europe.