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ObjectivesAn unexpectedly high proportion of children were admitted for severe respiratory infections at the Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Norway, during September and October, 2014. In light of the ongoing outbreak of enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68) in North America a real-time RT-PCR for screening of enterovirus and enterovirus D68 was established.DesignWe developed a duplex real-time RT-PCR for rapid screening of enterovirus D68. The method target the 5′ non-translated region (NTR) of the HEV genome at a location generally used for enterovirus detection.SampleNasopharyngeal samples (n = 354), from children <15 years of age, received for respiratory virus analysis in OUH during September 1st and October 31nd, 2014, were tested for enterovirus and screened for enterovirus D68.Main outcome measures and resultsThe duplex real-time RT-PCR method was an efficient tool for rapid screening for EV-D68 in respiratory specimens. Enterovirus was detected in 66 (22%) of 303 pediatric nasopharyngeal samples collected from children hospitalised with acute respiratory infection within the two-month period. Out of these, 33 (50%) were EV-D68. EV-D68 was associated with acute flaccid paralysis in one child.ConclusionsAn unexpectedly high proportion of children admitted for severe respiratory infections at the Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Norway, were diagnosed with EV- D68 during September 1st and October 31nd, 2014. These results emphasise that greater vigilance is required throughout Europe as enteroviruses are cause of severe respiratory disease.

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A reporting system could provide early warning.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), phylogenetic clade B was identified in nasopharyngeal specimens of two cases of severe acute flaccid myelitis. The cases were six and five years-old and occurred in September and November 2014. EV-D68 is increasingly associated with acute flaccid myelitis in children, most cases being reported in the United States. Awareness of this possible neurological complication of enterovirus D68 infection is needed. An unexpectedly high proportion of children were admitted for severe respiratory infections at the Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Norway, during September and October, 2014 [1]. Enterovirus was detected in 66 (22%) of 303 samples from children hospitalised with acute respiratory infection, and in five of 51 samples received from outpatient clinics. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was verified in 33 of the enterovirus-positive samples from hospitalised patients, and in one of the outpatients. We report two cases of severe acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) associated with EV-D68 infection that occurred in September and November 2014 in Norway.