Baby dies and many left in intensive care due to ‘usually mild bug’

The nine infants contracted enterovirus before suffering from the adverse heart condition.

A number of young babies in South Wales and the south-west of England have recently developed the common infection.

Public Health Wales, an NHS body which strives to improve the quality, equity and effectiveness of healthcare, said enterovirus rarely affects the heart.

Most babies and children recover completely from the virus.

Symptoms often include fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, skin rashes, mouth blisters and muscle aches.

However, in rare cases with young infants, enterovirus can cause severe illness in the first few weeks of life.

A total of 15 newborns have developed severe myocarditis since June 2022.

Ten infants were struck down with the virus in Wales and another five contracted it in south-west England.

The World Health Organisation issued an alert yesterday warning about a rise in enterovirus cases.

The WHO said: “The reported incident represents an increase in both the number and severity of enterovirus infections in infants under the age of one month.”

The agency added: “Although enterovirus infections are common in neonates and young infants, the reported increase in myocarditis with severe outcomes in neonates and infants associated with enterovirus infection is unusual.”

Despite an increase in cases, Public Health Wales have sought to reassure parents about just how rare cases still are.

WHO also revealed the risk to public health remains “low”.

Baby Elijah Edwards died in March 2022 after his parents were initially told a separate rare condition was the cause.

However, his death is now being looked at as part of a set of enterovirus cases resulting in severe myocarditis.