Clinical and genetic features of human metapneumovirus infection in children

• Published in: Pediatrics international 2016-01, Vol.58 (1), p.22-26
• Main Authors: Park, Ji Young, Yun, Ki Wook, Lim, Jae Woo, Lee, Mi Kyung, Lim, In Seok, Choi, Eung Sang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Clinical medicine; Dyspnea; Female; Fever; Fusion protein; Gene polymorphism; genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Human metapneumovirus; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infections; Korea; Male; Metapneumovirus - genetics; Nasopharynx - virology; Paramyxoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Paramyxoviridae Infections - genetics; Paramyxoviridae Infections - virology; Pathogens; Pediatrics; Polymerase chain reaction; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Respiration; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - genetics; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Retrospective Studies; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse transcription; RNA, Viral - genetics; Wheezing
• ISSN: 1328-8067; 1442-200X
• DOI: 10.1111/ped.12782

Background Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is one of the main pathogens responsible for respiratory tract infection in children. Methods From 2011 to 2013, nasopharyngeal aspirates were obtained from Korean children and tested for hMPV on reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The genotype of hMPV in each sample was identified on PCR‐restriction length polymorphism analysis of the fusion gene. We divided patients into three groups according to degree of fever. Patients with fever peaking at >39.5°C or lasting >7 days were classified as the high fever (HF) group; those with fevers peaking at