Acute asthma exacerbation by enterovirus D68

Abstract

 Enterovirus D68 is a RNA virus that does not have envelope belonging to picorna viridae enterovirus. Its infection increases in summer to autumn, and presents various findings, such as cold, lower respiratory infection, wheezing, etc.

 In September 2015, during the endemic of enterovirus D68, unusual increases in acute asthma, severe respiratory diseases and acute flaccid paralysis were experienced in many pediatric hospitals in Japan. A retrospective nation-wide monthly surveillance focused on acute asthma exacerbation for children, which was performed for the first time in the world by the Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, indicated that enterovirus D68 was an important virus for epidemic of acute asthma exacerbation.

 This experience will develop into research that contributes to the advancement of both allergology and microbiology.