Genotypic diversity, circulation patterns and co-detections among rhinoviruses in Queensland, 2001

Abstract

Purpose Rhinoviruses (RVs) occur more frequently than other viruses and more often in people displaying symptoms than in those without. We sought to estimate the spectrum of RV diversity, RV species seasonality and to analyse RV involvement in respiratory virus co-detections. Methodology A convenience collection of 1179 airway sample extracts from patients with suspected respiratory infections, collected during 2001, was subjected to comprehensive molecular testing. Results RVs were the most common virus detected. We were able to genotype ~90 % of RV detections, identifying 70 distinct RVs, spanning all three species. RV-Bs were under-represented. We found RV species co-circulated at times, although one species usually dominated. Each species displayed a bimodal distribution. Conclusion Notably, RVs and influenza A viruses (IFAV) seldom co-occurred, supporting their roles as primary pathogens of the airway among acutely ill infants. Whether RV circulation has a moderating or controlling effect on the IFAV season or is controlled by it cannot be determined from these data. Despite the frequent perception that RVs commonly co-occur with another virus, our findings indicated this was not always the case. Nearly 80 % of RV detections occurred alone. Understanding more about population-level interference between viruses may allow us to harness aspects of it to generate a non-specific antiviral intervention that mimics a putative protective effect. For routine respiratory virus screening to best serve the patient, RV testing should be a principal component of any acute respiratory illness testing algorithm throughout the year.

Using routine testing data to understand circulation patterns of influenza A, respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory viruses in Victoria, Australia

“…While we excluded specimens isolated from outbreaks or for surveillance and samples from 2009 and 2016–2017 when testing patterns were obviously altered, we cannot be certain we controlled completely for this unknown. Type/subtype data for other viruses may have also improved the resolution of our findings, as other studies have noted variances in the timing of epidemics caused by different types of parainfluenza virus [ 4 , 6 ] and rhinovirus [ 21 ] and there is scant information available for RSV. Additionally, our study sample was drawn from patients ill enough to seek healthcare.…”

“…Despite this apparent interference, viral co-infections do occur, albeit with insufficient frequency to maintain an epidemic-level spread of the co-infecting viruses. A recent study reported infrequent co-detection of rhinovirus with other viruses [ 21 ], despite observations that rhinovirus continues to be shed for several weeks post-resolution of symptoms [ 22 ]. Negative associations have also been observed between the detection of influenza A, RSV, parainfluenza virus or coronavirus and co-detection of other respiratory viruses [ 8 , 23 , 24 ], providing further evidence for a refractory period after initial infection during which the host is less likely to be infected by subsequent exposure to another respiratory virus.…”

Interference between rhinovirus and influenza A virus: a clinical data analysis and experimental infection study

“…Although our study was limited to adults aged 21 years or older, the low co-detection rates we observed for rhinovirus and IAV in this population are strikingly similar to results from different patient populations, including a study of 2121 paediatric samples from the 2009 H1N1 IAV pandemic in France; 1247 samples from children who were symptomatic in Australia from 2003; 33 652 samples from patients of all ages in Australia over 12 years; and 44 230 samples from patients of all ages in Scotland collected over 9 years. 3,[8][9][10] Nickbash and colleagues also presented a mathematical model further supporting viral interference. 10 The similarities in results across different geographies, populations, and study designs support the idea that low virus co-detection rates have a biological basis rather than representing a confounder in a particular patient group.…”

“…[2][3][4] Since 2009, analyses of co-detections of common respiratory viruses, including rhinovirus and IAV or rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), have shown that co-detections are significantly lower than would be expected by chance alone, also supporting the viral interference hypothesis. 3,[5][6][7][8][9][10] Another important observation was made in a small study of the live attenuated intranasal influenza vaccine, in which investigators observed decreased replication of the influenza vaccine strain in children who tested positive for another respiratory virus at the time of vaccine exposure. 11 In a mouse model, previous rhinovirus exposure attenuated IAV infection, with the caveat that rhinovirus does not replicate in mice.…”

SARS-CoV-2 infection in children in Moscow in 2020: clinical features and impact on circulation of other respiratory viruses

“…Previous studies have shown that a respiratory virus pandemic can affect circulation, age distribution, and other properties of seasonal RVI (Meningher et al, 2014;Navarro-Marí et al, 2012), and several studies have provided evidence of respiratory virus interactions during circulation (Ånestad, 1987;Arden et al, 2020;Casalegno et al, 2010;Nickbakhsh et al, 2019;Wu et al, 2020). Our study demonstrates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 infection pandemic on the prevalence of other RVI and age distribution of children hospitalized with ARIs, as well as presents clinical features of COVID-19 in children in Moscow, Russia during the autumn wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (Fig.…”