DOI: 10.1111/irv.70305 ISSN: 1750-2640
Enterovirus D68 Detected in Hospitalized Children With Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in Zambia
Idah Mweene Ndumba, Michiko Okamoto, Paul Simusika, Takeaki Imamura, Mwaka Monze, Mayuko Saito, Hitoshi OshitaniABSTRACT
Enterovirus D68 (EV‐D68) is a cause of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and is associated with acute flaccid paralysis. However, data on EV‐D68 in Africa, where SARI remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children, remain limited. We conducted a retrospective analysis to detect EV‐D68 in archived samples collected from hospitalized children with SARI in Zambia from 2018 to 2020. We identified eight positive samples in 2020, and genetic sequence analysis showed that all sequences belonged to subclade A2. Continuous monitoring is crucial to enhance understanding of the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of EV‐D68 in Africa.