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Invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections are known to be potentially life-threatening. Few detailed pediatric cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) caused by iGAS with the M1 strain have been reported. This report describes the case of a child with STSS due to M1 strain, with detailed documentation of the treatment progress. A 10-year-old female patient without predisposing factors associated with iGAS, initially presented with pneumonia and developed progressive multi-organ failure. A precise diagnosis by the primary hospital's attending physician and effective critical care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a tertiary children's hospital led to lifesaving and favorable functional outcomes. The clinical course highlights the importance of recognizing the common presentation of iGAS and prompt medical coordination between general hospitals and PICU. Furthermore, public health measures against iGAS infection are just as important as early diagnosis and treatment to prevent deaths in the community after rapid deterioration.

Background Acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) remains the leading cause of death in children worldwide, and viruses have been the major cause of ALRI. In Myanmar, ALRI is associated with high morbidity and mortality in children, and detailed information on ALRI is currently lacking. Methods This prospective study investigated the viral aetiologies, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of ALRI in hospitalised children aged 1 month to 12 years at the Yankin Children Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar from May 2017 to April 2019. The sample size was set to 300 patients for each year. Two nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained for the patients with suspected viral ALRI; one for rapid tests for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the other for real-time PCR for the 16 ALRI-causing viruses. Pneumococcal colonization rates were also investigated using real-time PCR. Clinical information was extracted from the medical records, and enrolled patients were categorised by age and severity for comparison. Results Among the 5463 patients admitted with a diagnosis of ALRI, 570 (10.4%) were enrolled in this study. The median age of the patients was 8 months (interquartile range, 4–15 months). The most common symptoms were cough (93%) and difficulty in breathing (73%), while the most common signs of ALRI were tachypnoea (78%) and chest indrawing (67%). A total of 16 viruses were detected in 502 of 570 patients’ samples (88%), with RSV B (36%) and rhinovirus (28%) being the most commonly detected. Multiple viruses were detected in 221 of 570 samples (37%) collected from 570 patients. Severe ALRI was diagnosed in 107 of 570 patients (19%), and RSV B and human rhinovirus were commonly detected. The mortality rate was 5%; influenza virus A (29%) and RSV B (21%) were commonly detected, and stunting and lack of immunization were frequently observed in such cases. Additionally, 45% (259/570) of the patients had pneumococcal colonization. Conclusions Viral ALRI in hospitalised children with a median of 8 months has significant morbidity and mortality rates in Myanmar. RSV and rhinovirus were the most commonly detected from nasopharyngeal swabs, while influenza virus and RSV were the most frequently associated with fatal cases.

Background Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a re-emerging, high-morbidity pathogen that causes severe respiratory infection and acute flaccid myelitis in children. EV-D68 is phylogenetically divided into 4 major groups—clade A through D—and each clade has subclades defined by genetic variant. Outbreaks of all strains have been reported in more than 10 countries. However, no study has compared the viral genomic characteristics of EV-D68 in contemporaneous outbreaks in different countries. Methods An outbreak of EV-D68 in children younger than 15 years occurred in Niigata, Japan, from October through November 2018. The patients were admitted to hospital with respiratory distress and wheezing episodes. RNA extracted from nasopharyngeal samples was tested by EV-D68-specific PCR. Clade was determined by semi-nested PCR analysis of the VP1 region, and the phylogenetic tree of the VP1 sequence was constructed. To clarify viral genomic characteristics, we compared the clade to those of outbreaks occurring during 2014–2018 in other countries. Results EV-D68 testing of 47 patients yielded positive results for 22 (47%) (median age 4.6 years; IQR, 2.9–6.7), and 15 (69%) had a past medical history of allergic disease. No patient developed acute flaccid myelitis. The VP1 sequences from all isolates belonged to clade B3, the same clade detected during the 2015 outbreak in Japan (figure). Interestingly, EV-D68 outbreaks were reported in France and Italy (clades D1/B3 and D1, respectively) during this period. Although the EV-D68 clades responsible for outbreaks in 2014 differed by region, clade B3 is now the dominant clade and has caused concurrent EV-D68 outbreaks in children since 2015 (table). Conclusion In 2018, an EV-D68 clade B3 outbreak occurred among children in Niigata, Japan. This clade is now dominant and periodically circulates around the world. Because EV-D68 can cause simultaneous outbreaks worldwide and is associated with high morbidity, detailed real-time epidemiological surveillance of EV-D68 is warranted. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Background Parechovirus-A3 (PeV-A3) causes severe disease, including sepsis and meningoencephalitis in young infants. The first case of PeV-A3 was reported in Japan in 1999 and, although epidemics have been reported every 2 to 3 years in more than 20 countries, no major epidemic has occurred in Japan since 2014. Methods This prospective study included febrile infants (<4 months of age) admitted at Niigata University and its affiliated hospitals, which serve about 2.5 million people, during the period from 2014 to 2018. Neonates and infants younger than 4 months presenting with fever and suspected of having viral sepsis underwent serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing by real-time PCR for parechovirus-A (PeV-A) and enteroviruses (EVs), and for herpes simplex viruses, if suspected. Bacterial infection was excluded on the basis of the results of bacterial culture of blood, urine, and/or CSF. PeV-A genotype was identified by examining the viral protein 1 (VP1) sequence, and the phylogenetic tree of the VP1 sequence was constructed. Results Of the 277 patients evaluated, 135 (49%) were positive for PeV-A (n = 74, 27%) or EVs (n = 61, 22%). Among PeV-A patients, most had PeV-A3 (n = 69; 93%), followed by PeV-A4 (n = 4; 5%). There was a PeV-A3 epidemic in 2014 (n = 43); however, no cases were reported in 2015. In 2016–2018, small numbers of PeV-A3 cases were reported: 10 in 2016, 7 in 2017, and 9 in 2018. In contrast, EV cases were reported throughout this period: 8 in 2014, 22 in 2015, 10 in 2016, 5 in 2017, and 16 in 2018. When data were analyzed by season, the PeV-A3 detection rate in summer (June-August) was 93% (40/43) in 2014 and 65% (17/26) during 2016–2018, indicating an increase in the number of PeV-A3 cases in seasons other than summer. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PeV-A3 strains during 2016–2018 were part of a cluster of epidemics in 2011 and differed from those in 2014. Conclusion After the major PeV-A3 epidemics in 2014, we observed changes in the PeV-A3 epidemic profile, namely, a small, but constant, number of cases every year in Niigata, Japan. A future study should investigate if this trend has continued in Japan and other countries and identify the causes of this change in epidemic profile. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

To investigate parechovirus-A3 (PeV-A3) transmission in a newborn nursery, after encountering 3 neonates with fever and rash. An observational study. At a newborn nursery at the general hospital in Hyogo, Japan. Symptomatic neonates and their family members, and asymptomatic neonates born during the same period. PCR assays for PeV-A and genotyping were used for the investigation of PeV-A3. Preserved umbilical cords were used to identify the route of transmission. PeV-A3 infection was confirmed in the three symptomatic neonates. The index case had fever and rash, and the 2 neonates treated later became symptomatic and had serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and stool specimens that were positive for PeV-A3 on PCR. The umbilical cord of the index case was positive for PeV-A3 on PCR. The family members of the index case, including the mother, were asymptomatic before delivery. The older sister and cousin of the PeV-A3-infected neonate had positive PCR results. The sequence analysis suggested 2 possible transmission routes: vertical and horizontal transmission in a newborn nursery and/or a family outside the hospital. The incubation period of PeV-A3 infection was estimated to be 1-3 days (maximum, 7 days). Horizontal transmission of PeV-A3 was confirmed in a newborn nursery. Vertical transmission was suggested by the detection of RNA in an umbilical cord sample from the index case. These observations indicate that PeV-A3 can be horizontally transmitted in a newborn nursery and that special caution is required to prevent healthcare-associated transmission of PeV-A3.

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a significant concern, although its specific characteristics remain unclear. Moreover, strategies to shift vaccine-hesitant parents' attitudes toward immunization are not yet well-defined. Pediatric emergency department (ED) physicians frequently encounter patients who are inadequately vaccinated due to parental VH; however, it is challenging to allocate sufficient time during ED visits to provide comprehensive vaccination education. Our institution operates a dedicated outpatient clinic that provides vaccine education for parents with vaccine hesitancy identified in the pediatric ED. The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of vaccine-hesitant individuals presenting to a pediatric ED in Japan and to assess the effectiveness of our vaccination education clinic. We found 78 vaccine hesitancy cases in the patients who visited the pediatric ED. Among them, 31 (40%) visited our vaccination education clinic. The majority (29/31, 94%) of parents who attended our vaccination education clinic replied that they gained a positive view of vaccination. The pediatric ED is a useful location to identify VH patients and parents. Vaccination education by pediatric infectious diseases specialists may be useful in changing parental attitudes towards immunization.

Enhanced surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults was conducted during April 2013-March 2018 in 10 of 47 prefectures in Japan, and a total of 1277 IPD patients were enrolled. An emergence of IPD caused by serotype 12F was identified during May 2015-March 2018 through this surveillance. 12F isolates were composed of four related sequence types. In total, 120 patients with 12F IPD were reported during this period. To characterize the clinical features of 12F IPD, the disease characteristics of these patients were compared with those of 1157 patients with non-12F IPD. Compared with the non-12F IPD patients, a significantly lower proportion of 12F IPD patients was aged 65 years or older (55% vs. 70%), vaccinated with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide (4% vs. 14%), had comorbid illness (65% vs. 77%), or were immunocompromised (19% vs. 30%; all P < 0.05). No significant difference in the proportion of case fatalities was found between the two groups. The proportions of those aged 65 years or older (53% vs. 69%) and with bacteremic pneumonia (35% vs. 69%) were significantly lower in 17 patients who died from 12F IPD than in 205 patients who died from non-12F IPD (all P < 0.05). Differences in clinical features were similarly found between 12F IPD patients and patients in low- or intermediate-level invasive potential serogroups. Our data demonstrated that serotype 12F was associated with IPD in younger adults and a lower proportion of comorbid illness, including immunocompromised conditions, in adult IPD, suggesting the high invasive potential of the serotype 12F. In addition, patients who died from 12F IPD were younger and had proportionately more bacteremia without focus. These findings may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of IPD in adults caused by 12F serotype with a high invasive potential.