Molecular epidemiological study of enterovirus D68 in hospitalised children in Hong Kong in 2014–2015 and their complete coding sequences

BackgroundHuman enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was first isolated in 1962 and has aroused public concern recently because of a nationwide outbreak among children in 2014–2015 in the USA. The symptoms include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough and muscle pains. It might be associated with severe respiratory illness in individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions and its potential association with acute flaccid myelitis is under investigation. In Asia, EV-D68 cases have been reported in several countries.The studyWe aimed to understand the EV-D68 prevalence and their genetic diversity in Hong Kong children.MethodsA total of 10 695 nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) samples from hospitalised patients aged