The recent cases belong to a subtype called A3, which is associated with more severe disease in newborns and infants, including neurological issues such as seizures or meningitis.
“It’s not only that we are seeing the rare, severe cases that we have seen in the past," he added."We’re also seeing more parechovirus activity in general and earlier in the season than we typically would see.” Clinicians often call it a"mittens and booties rash," since it's located on the hands and feet. But the rash itself can look different depending on the patient, Blumberg said, with some children experiencing generalized redness and others developing small bumps alongside flat, red areas.“The vast majority of patients are going to get better on their own,” Blumberg said. “It’s just going to run its course.
In rare cases, some newborns and young infants will develop inflammation that depletes white blood cells in the brain and spinal cord. These babies may need to receive seizure medication or be put on ventilators in the immediate term, and in the long term may be at risk for neurodevelopmental issues.
"They may be contagious for that long, but there may be patients in the community who are contagious too and you just don't know about it because they're not tested and they may be asymptomatic," Blumberg said."Asymptomatic shedding occurs also."