Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: US National Library of Medicine, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2014 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Disease in Children.
Memish ZA<SUP>1</SUP>, Al-Tawfiq JA, Assiri A, Alrabiah FA, Hajjar SA, Albarrak A, Flemban H, Alhakeem RF, Makhdoom HQ, Alsubaie S, Al-Rabeeah AA.
Author information: <SUP>1</SUP>1Al-Faisal University, Riyadh 11176, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) 2Saudi Aramco Medical services Organisation, Saudi ARAMCO, Dhahran, KSA 3Infection Prevention & Control Program, Public Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, KSA 4Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, KSA 5King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, KSA 6Communicable Disease Program, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, KSA 7Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, KSA 8College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA 9Alhada Military Hospital, Riyadh, KSA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Since the initial description of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, the majority of affected patients were adults with underlying medical comorbidities. Data on the clinical presentation and outcome of pediatric cases are lacking. We report the clinical presentation and outcome of MERS-CoV infection in nine pediatric patients.
METHODS:
The clinical presentation, demographic data and laboratory data of pediatric patients with MERS-CoV were extracted and analyzed.
FINDINGS:
A total of 11 pediatric cases that tested positive by screening and confirmatory PCR for MERS-CoV were reported from Saudi Arabia. Two patients were symptomatic and the other 9 cases were asymptomatic. The median age of patients was 13 (range 2-16) years. There were eight females and three males (2.7:1 ratio). One symptomatic patient died and the other symptomatic patient recovered. The diagnosis of patients was based on positive nasopharyngeal swabs on the majority of the patients.
INTERPRETATION:
MERS-CoV disease is not limited to adults. Most cases of childhood MERS-CoV infection was asymptomatic and tested positive during contact investigation of older patients. Severe disease can occur in children with underlying conditions.
PMID: 24763193 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2014 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Disease in Children.
Memish ZA<SUP>1</SUP>, Al-Tawfiq JA, Assiri A, Alrabiah FA, Hajjar SA, Albarrak A, Flemban H, Alhakeem RF, Makhdoom HQ, Alsubaie S, Al-Rabeeah AA.
Author information: <SUP>1</SUP>1Al-Faisal University, Riyadh 11176, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) 2Saudi Aramco Medical services Organisation, Saudi ARAMCO, Dhahran, KSA 3Infection Prevention & Control Program, Public Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, KSA 4Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, KSA 5King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, KSA 6Communicable Disease Program, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, KSA 7Jeddah Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, KSA 8College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA 9Alhada Military Hospital, Riyadh, KSA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Since the initial description of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, the majority of affected patients were adults with underlying medical comorbidities. Data on the clinical presentation and outcome of pediatric cases are lacking. We report the clinical presentation and outcome of MERS-CoV infection in nine pediatric patients.
METHODS:
The clinical presentation, demographic data and laboratory data of pediatric patients with MERS-CoV were extracted and analyzed.
FINDINGS:
A total of 11 pediatric cases that tested positive by screening and confirmatory PCR for MERS-CoV were reported from Saudi Arabia. Two patients were symptomatic and the other 9 cases were asymptomatic. The median age of patients was 13 (range 2-16) years. There were eight females and three males (2.7:1 ratio). One symptomatic patient died and the other symptomatic patient recovered. The diagnosis of patients was based on positive nasopharyngeal swabs on the majority of the patients.
INTERPRETATION:
MERS-CoV disease is not limited to adults. Most cases of childhood MERS-CoV infection was asymptomatic and tested positive during contact investigation of older patients. Severe disease can occur in children with underlying conditions.
PMID: 24763193 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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