Coxsackievirus B4 (CV-B4) linked to four severe neonatal infections including one fatal, Northern Ireland, October 2024 to February 2025

Abstract

We report four cases of severe neonatal non-polio enterovirus infection, requiring hospital admission. Infants presented to different regional hospitals across Northern Ireland from late 2024 to early 2025. Three had neonatal meningitis and one showed rapid demise, leading to sepsis, multi-organ failure and death at day 6 of life. All infants were less than 18 days old at presentation, two were considered congenital infections, with one presenting symptoms at birth. All infants had detectable enterovirus RNA, typed as coxsackievirus B4.