Frequent detection of human rhinoviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses, and bocavirus during acute respiratory tract infections

Abstract

Viruses are the major cause of pediatric acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) and yet many suspected cases of infection remain uncharacterized. We employed 17 PCR assays and retrospectively screened 315 specimens selected by season from a predominantly pediatric hospital-based population. Before the Brisbane respiratory virus research study commenced, one or more predominantly viral pathogens had been detected in 15.2% (n = 48) of all specimens. The Brisbane study made an additional 206 viral detections, resulting in the identification of a microbe in 67.0% of specimens. After our study, the majority of microbes detected were RNA viruses (89.9%). Overall, human rhinoviruses (HRVs) were the most frequently identified target (n = 140) followed by human adenoviruses (HAdVs; n = 25), human metapneumovirus (HMPV; n = 18), human bocavirus (HBoV; n = 15), human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV; n = 12), human coronaviruses (HCoVs; n = 11), and human herpesvirus-6 (n = 11). HRVs were the sole microbe detected in 37.8% (n = 31) of patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Genotyping of the HRV VP4/VP2 region resulted in a proposed subdivision of HRV type A into sublineages A1 and A2. Most of the genotyped HAdV strains were found to be type C. This study describes the high microbial burden imposed by HRVs, HMPV, HRSV, HCoVs, and the newly identified virus, HBoV on a predominantly paediatric hospital population with suspected acute respiratory tract infections and proposes a new formulation of viral targets for future diagnostic research studies.

The impact of respiratory viruses on lung health after preterm birth

“…Rhinovirus (RV) is a major cause of acute respiratory illnesses and wheezing episodes in infants and young children and has been associated with an increased health burden, particularly among preterm infants [91–94]. Although RV infections have long been thought to be limited to the common cold and mild self-limiting upper respiratory illnesses, the application of improved viral molecular detection methods has substantially improved understating of the epidemiology and the clinical significance of RV, particularly among high risk children [94–98]. In a 2-year prospective study, RV was detected in 41% of all episodes of acute respiratory illnesses and 33% of related hospitalisations during the first year of life in a cohort of preterm infants [99].…”

Aetiology of Acute Respiratory Infections in Children under Five Years in Nakuru, Kenya

“…There is a second line of agents, including rhinoviruses and other picornaviruses, and coronaviruses, that are relatively common, but have previously been thought of as typically associated with milder upper respiratory tract illness [3]. Other viruses that have been associated with respiratory infections are Mimivirus and Mossman virus [4], Reovirus, Melaka virus [5,6], the Herpesviruses family, including Human herpes virus type 6, Cytomegalovirus, Varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and the Herpes simplex viruses, particularly in the immunocompromised [7], Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) [8], ARS-associated coronavirus [9], Human bocavirus [10] and two Human polyomaviruses: KI (KIPyV) 24 and WU virus (WUPyV) [11]. These viruses comprise the core group of common childhood respiratory pathogens, as well as those that may only occasionally cause illness.…”

Spread of different rhinovirus B genotypes in hospitalized children in Spain

“…These serotypes were identified as two genetically distinct species: HRV‐A and HRV‐B with 75 and 25 different genotypes, respectively. A third group HRV‐C, described in 2006 and initially called HRV‐A2, 3 was accepted as a new species in 2009 by the Picornaviridae Study Group of ICTV (http://www.picornastudygroup.com/taxa/species/species.htm). …”