Rotavirus Infection as a Frequent Cause of Neonatal Fever.

Rotavirus Infection as a Frequent Cause of Neonatal Fever.

Pediatr Int. 2017 Dec 31;:

Authors: Kang HN, Park HK, Lee HJ, Moon JH, Oh JW, Kim CR

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fever rather than diarrhea or vomiting was the most common symptom of neonatal rotavirus(RV) infection in our previous study. We investigated if RV infection is a major cause of neonatal fever and we compared the clinical characteristics of bacterial infections, viral infections and unknown causes of neonatal fever.
METHOD: We reviewed the electronic medical records of 48 newborns of ≤ 28 days who were admitted to the Special Care Nursery of Hanyang University Guri Hospital for fever (≥ 38°C) from 2005 to 2009. All the newborns underwent CBC, urinalysis, C-reactive protein, cultures of blood, urine, and CSF as well as stool RV ELISA. Respiratory virus PCR for cough or rhinorrhea, and stool culture for diarrhea were also done.
RESULTS: All the babies were term, mean age 13±8 days and peak body temperature 38.5±0.5°C. The causes of neonatal fever were viral (44%), bacterial (10%) and unknown (46%). The viral infections included RV (n=12), enterovirus (n=6), respiratory syncytial virus (n=2), and rhinovirus (n=1). All the rotavirus genotypes were G4P[6]. Only 3 of 12 RV-infected febrile newborns had diarrhea. The bacterial infections included 3 urinary tract infections (2 Escherichia coli and 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae), and 2 sepsis and meningitis (all Streptococcus agalactiae).
CONCLUSIONS: RV infection is the most common single cause of neonatal fever. It may be necessary to include stool RV tests for febrile newborns.

PMID: 29290098 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://ift.tt/2C3s11n