Postnatal Care-associated Echovirus 11 Infection in Malaysia: Severe Disease With Variable Outcomes.
Soo Lin Chuah, Joanne Zhi Han Lau, Chin Seng Gan et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
Five neonates aged 2–9 days in Kuala Lumpur had laboratory-confirmed echovirus 11 (E11) infection. Four developed multiorgan failure, particularly liver dysfunction, and required intensive care; two died. Two of these cases also had thrombotic microangiopathy. The fifth infant had uncomplicated meningitis. Sequencing identified genotype D5 in all cases. Two infants had identical viral sequences and had been in the same neonatal unit, suggesting a common source; the other cases had related sequences and were considered community-acquired. Three infants were admitted from different postnatal confinement centers.
What made this case unusual
Thrombotic microangiopathy occurred in two neonates with E11 infection, alongside severe multiorgan disease in four of the five cases.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
In neonates with severe multiorgan illness and prominent liver dysfunction, consider E11 infection; laboratory confirmation may use virus culture or polymerase chain reaction.
Why it matters
The cases point to possible E11 transmission in both hospital and community postnatal settings, including confinement centers, underscoring the relevance of infection control in these environments.