Clinical characteristics and complications of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in east London: A retrospective case-control study.

Background: Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children and is associated with neurological complications such as seizures and encephalopathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the presentation and complications of rotavirus compared to non-rotavirus gastroenteritis in UK children.

Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control, hospital-based study conducted at three sites in east London, UK.

Rotavirus-associated mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS)-case report and review of the literature.

Background: Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under the age of 5 years worldwide. It is well recognised that rotavirus can cause signs and symptoms beyond the gastrointestinal tract, including neurological manifestations such as encephalopathy. Mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a clinico-radiological syndrome that has been associated with rotavirus.

Deep Sequencing of HIV-1 in Cerebrospinal Fluid.

Using deep sequencing, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) resistance-associated mutations were detected as minority species in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 4 patients with higher HIV type 1 RNA load in CSF than in plasma, but not in 2 patients with higher plasma viral load. Deep sequencing could help our understanding of viral escape in the central nervous system.

Respiratory outcome of prematurely born infants following human rhinovirus A and C infections.

Unlabelled: Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and are associated with chronic respiratory morbidity. Our aim was to determine whether HRV species A or C were associated with chronic respiratory morbidity and increased health care utilisation in prematurely born infants. A number of 153 infants with a median gestational age of 34 (range 23-35) weeks were prospectively followed.

Patient characteristics and severity of human rhinovirus infections in children.

Background: It is increasingly recognized that human rhinoviruses (HRV) can be associated with severe infections. However, conflicting results have been reported on the relative prevalence and severity of the three HRV species.

Objectives: The relative prevalence and clinical characteristics of HRV-A, B and C, in children attending a South London teaching hospital were investigated retrospectively.

Post-vaccination serological test results of infants at risk of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B using an intensified follow-up programme in a London centre.

Immunisation of infants born to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected mothers is an important public health measure to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV. Post-vaccination serological tests (PVST) inform the success of the infant HBV immunisation programme and identify infected infants. Previous studies suggested that the rates of PVST in the UK programme were unsatisfactory.

Lineages, sub-lineages and variants of enterovirus 68 in recent outbreaks.

Enterovirus 68 (EV68) was first isolated in 1962. Very few cases of EV68 infection were described over the ensuing 40 years. However, in the past few years, an increase in severe respiratory tract infections associated with EV68 has been reported.

Abdominal distension: an important feature in human parechovirus infection.

A total of 8 infants presenting with sepsis-like illness were diagnosed to have human parechovirus (HPeV) infection; of which, 5 had abdominal distension and 6 had an erythematous rash. A combination of abdominal distension and erythematous rash was observed in 4 infants. The abdominal symptoms can be very prominent and signs could be confused with acute surgical conditions.

Neurological complications of pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 infection: European case series and review.

Neurological manifestations and outcomes of children with the 2009 H1N1 virus infection have been reported in three American series and from smaller cohorts and case reports worldwide. Of the 83 children admitted between April 2009 and March 2010 with H1N1 virus infection to a tertiary children's hospital in a European setting, five children aged between 2 and 10 years had neurological symptoms. Four patients had seizures and encephalopathy at presentation.

K65R and Y181C are less prevalent in HAART-experienced HIV-1 subtype A patients.

The vast majority of HIV-1 infections globally are caused by subtype A or C, although little is known about their drug resistance profiles. We found that HAART-experienced patients infected with subtype A had a lower prevalence of K65R and Y181C than those with subtypes B or C, despite similar exposure to antiretroviral agents that select for these mutations. If confirmed, this information may be important in the planning of antiretroviral regimens in patients infected with HIV-1 subtype A.