Enterovirus is a very common virus in children that occurs especially in spring and summer, and usually causes minor respiratory and digestive infections. In general they cause mild symptoms: cough, mucus, diarrhea, vomiting and fever, and heals only without complications.
From two months ago Catalonia is being affected by an outbreak of enteroviruses, some of them very aggressive, that keep 13 children and two days ago he claimed the life of a two-year-old boy. The first confirmed case of enterovirus death in Catalonia.
Almost no symptoms
The boy had gone to a primary care center on Sunday with a picture of vomiting without fever, so he was sent home. A few hours later, he went to the Mataró hospital after suffering a "decrease in the level of consciousness." He had no other notable symptoms, but within a few hours he suffered a fulminating heart stop that doctors failed to overcome. After his death, the analyzes determined that he was infected by enterovirus.
Health officials consider it "an isolated case", they want to be prudent and emphasize that "Cannot confirm" that there is a cause-effect relationship between the death of the child and the detection of an enterovirus, since there are several diseases that can cause decreases in consciousness that result in this "tragic outcome."
AdvertisingVery aggressive serotypes
In May the alarm went off in Catalonia for a very aggressive enterovirus that produces neurological complications in children under 6 years, such as tremor, difficulty walking, seizures or severe drowsiness. So far 99 children with enteroviruses have been treated in that community, 13 of whom remain hospitalized and four in intensive care.
It is still unknown if the enterovirus that infected the child is an enterovirus of type A71, the serotype of the virus that is causing the current outbreak, but it seems to be the most logical. The results of the studies will determine it in eight or ten days.
There is no vaccine that protects against the action of enterovirusesThe only thing that can be done is to maximize prevention through thorough handwashing with soap and water, clean surfaces that might be infected, and avoid contact with infected people.
