Ambulatory Pediatric Surveillance of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease as Signal of an Outbreak of Coxsackievirus A6 Infections, France, 2014–2015

Audrey Mirand (1, 2) , François Vié Le Sage , Bruno Pereira (3) , Robert Cohen (4, 5) , Corinne Levy (4) , Christine Archimbaud (1, 2) , Hélène Peigue-Lafeuille (1, 2) , Jean-Luc Bailly (2) , Cécile Henquell (1, 2)

1 CHU Clermont-Ferrand
2 UCA [2017-2020] - Université Clermont Auvergne [2017-2020]
3 Unité de Biostatistiques [CHU Clermont-Ferrand]
4 Etudes cliniques et épidémiologiques, la recherche diagnostique et thérapeutique en pathologie pédiatrique
5 UPE - Université Paris-Est

The clinical impact of enteroviruses associated with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is unknown outside Asia, and the prevalence of enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) in particular might be underestimated. To investigate the prevalence of enterovirus serotypes and the clinical presentations associated with HFMD in France, we conducted prospective ambulatory clinic-based surveillance of children during April 2014-March 2015. Throat or buccal swabs were collected from children with HFMD and tested for the entero-virus genome. Physical examinations were recorded on a standardized form. An enterovirus infection was detected in 523 (79.3%) of 659 children tested. Two epidemic waves occurred, dominated by coxsackievirus (CV) A6, which was detected in 53.9% of enterovirus-infected children. CV-A6 was more frequently related to atypical HFMD manifestations (eruptions extended to limbs and face). Early awareness and documentation of HFMD outbreaks can be achieved by syndromic surveillance of HFMD by ambulatory pediatricians and rapid enterovirus testing and genotyping.

Domaines: Santé publique et épidémiologie; Maladies infectieuses; Maladies émergentes; Pédiatrie

Audrey Mirand, François Vié Le Sage, Bruno Pereira, Robert Cohen, Corinne Levy, et al.. Ambulatory Pediatric Surveillance of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease as Signal of an Outbreak of Coxsackievirus A6 Infections, France, 2014–2015. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2016, 22 (11), pp.1884-1893. ⟨10.3201/eid2211.160590⟩. ⟨hal-01883171⟩