New virus strain in Australia causes brain damage in babies
More than 100 Australian babies have been hospitalized since 2013 because of a new virus. Research has found that the parechovirus can cause developmental delays and brain damage. The findings of the research were presented at ASID’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Launceston.
According to a study by the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID), many of the babies that were hospitalized with the parechovirus outbreak in 2013 and 2014 had developmental problems a year later. Professor Cheryle Jones, ASID president, told news.com.au that those babies were the severe cases and they were in New South Wales alone. They don’t have information on the number of mild cases in the 2013 incidence and how many were affected in the 2015 outbreak.
The virus was first identified in the US in the 90s and affects a child’s movement and problem-solving skills.
Jones said that the affected babies had high fever, rashes, were often irritable and they were admitted to the hospital. The virus was also present in the spinal fluid of the children they studied who had brain infections. According to her, more research and a bigger study of these children is needed when they reach three to five years of age. This will help them understand any long-term consequences of the infection and ways to prevent it.
It is spread from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids such as saliva or respiratory droplets. There are no vaccines or specific treatments available yet, so people are advised to practice good hygiene to avoid the spread of the virus.
Source: News
