A fatal case of acute encephalopathy in a child due to coxsackievirus A2 infection: a case report

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Nagai, Tomonori, Hanaoka, Nozomu, Katano, Harutaka, Konagaya, Masami, Tanaka-Taya, Keiko, Shimizu, Hiroyuki, Mukai, Toshiji, Fujimoto, Tsuguto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 18.11.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Autopsies; Autopsy; Body temperature; Case Report; Case reports; Case studies; Children; Complications; Complications and side effects; Coxsackievirus A2; Coxsackievirus infections; Coxsackieviruses; Cytomegalovirus; Death; Edema; Encephalitis; Encephalopathy; Enteroviruses; Heart; Infections; Morning; Mortality; Myocarditis; Neurological complications; Pathogens; Patient outcomes; Pediatric research; Pneumonia; Respiratory diseases; Sudden death; Urine; Viruses; Japan
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06858-2

Certain types of enteroviruses, including coxsackieviruses, cause encephalitis, and other neurological complications. However, these pathogens rarely cause fatal infections, especially in immunocompetent infants. In this study, we present a rare case of acute encephalopathy caused by coxsackievirus A2 (CV-A2), which progressed rapidly in a previously healthy female child. Based on our findings, we concluded that a previously healthy girl who had no immediate history of underlying medical condition were susceptible to death by acute encephalopathy due to CV-A2 infections. We proposed this conclusion because the patient's condition progressed rapidly in less than 2 h and eventually led to her death. This is the first report on an acute encephalitis-dependent death in a child due to CV-A2 infection.