Parechovirus A3 (PeV-A3)-associated myalgia/myositis occurs irrespective of its genetic cluster: a longitudinal molecular epidemiology of PeV-A3 in Yamagata, Japan between 2003 and 2016

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 68; no. 3; pp. 424 - 428
• Main Authors: Mizuta, Katsumi, Aoki, Yoko, Komabayashi, Kenichi, Tanaka, Shizuka, Yamakawa, Tatsushi, Shimizu, Yukitoshi, Itagaki, Tsutomu, Katsushima, Fumio, Katsushima, Yuriko, Ikeda, Tatsuya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2019
• Subjects: molecular epidemiology; parechovirus A3; PeV-A3-associated myalgia/myositis; epidemic myalgia
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000894

No longitudinal molecular epidemiology of parechovirus A3 (PeV-A3) over a decade is available and PeV-A3-associated myalgia/myositis has been reported only in Japan. Thus, we aimed to clarify the longitudinal molecular epidemiology of PeV-A3 with a major focus on the strains detected from PeV-A3-associated myalgia/myositis cases. We performed sequence and phylogenetic analysis for the VP1 region of PeV-A3 strains in Yamagata, Japan, between 2003 and 2016. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that PeV-A3 strains caused PeV-A3-associated myalgia/myositis as well as a variety of infectious diseases, ranging from mild to severe, in subjects ranging from neonates to adults, irrespective of genetic cluster or variations. PeV-A3 strains are causative agents of a variety of human diseases, irrespective of their genetic cluster. Furthermore, we consider that PeV-A3-associated myalgia/myositis may occur, not only in Japan, but also in other countries, as closely related PeV-A3 strains have been circulating around the world.