Parechovirus

MICROBIOLOGY

• Parechovirus (PeV) is a non-enveloped single-stranded RNA virus from the viral family Picornaviridae. Other members of this family include Enteroviruses (Echoviruses, Coxsackie viruses, and Poliovirus) and Rhinoviruses.
• Four species of PeV A through D. PeV-A is a recognized human pathogen with 19 genotypes.
  • PeV-A1 (previously called echovirus 22) is commonly associated with gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses and commonly circulates in the community.
  • PeV-A3 has a tropism for neuronal cells and is more often associated with neonatal sepsis and encephalitis. Because PeV-A3 is a less common strain, mothers may not have pre-existing protective antibodies, increasing the risk of neonatal infection.