Our data support the hypothesis that HBoV1 causes RTI in children, because detection of HBoV1 alone, viraemia and high viral load are associated with RTI and/or LRTI in this age group. However, HBoV1 is common in healthy children.

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Background. The burden of human coronavirus (HCoV)-associated respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in hospitalized children is poorly defined. We studied the occurrence and hospitalization rates of HCoV over 9 years.Methods. Children from Sør-Trøndelag County, Norway, hospitalized with RTIs and asymptomatic controls, were prospectively enrolled from 2006 to 2015. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were analyzed with semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for HCoV subtypes OC43, 229E, NL63, and HKU1, and 13 other respiratory pathogens.Results. HCoV was present in 9.1% (313/3458) of all RTI episodes: 46.6% OC43, 32.3% NL63, 16.0% HKU1, and 5.8% 229E. Hospitalization rates for HCoV-positive children with lower RTIs were 1.5 and 2.8 per 1000 <5 and <1 years of age, respectively. The detection rate among controls was 10.2% (38/373). Codetections occurred in 68.1% of the patients and 68.4% of the controls. In a logistic regression analysis, high HCoV genomic loads (cycle threshold <28 in PCR analysis) were associated with RTIs (odds ratio = 3.12, P = .016) adjusted for relevant factors.Conclusions. HCoVs occurred in 1 of 10 hospitalized children with RTIs and asymptomatic controls. A high HCoV genomic load was associated with RTI. HCoVs are associated with a substantial burden of RTIs in need of hospitalization.Keywords. human coronaviruses; children; hospitalization rates; respiratory tract infections; asymptomatic controls. METHODS Study SettingThe study was conducted at the Children's Department at St Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, Norway. The Department of Pediatrics is the sole pediatric reference center for approximately 59 000 children in Sør-Trøndelag County. Study PopulationFrom November 2006 to July 2015 we conducted a prospective surveillance study, enrolling all children admitted to the Children's Department at St Olavs Hospital with symptoms and