Human coronavirus ocurrence in different populations of Sao Paulo: a comprehensive nine-year study using a pancoronavirus RT-PCR assay

Abstract

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are considered one of the most common respiratory viruses associated with respiratory tract illnesses. An emergent human coronavirus was identified as the causal agent of an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) during 2002–2003. The severity of the disease combined with its rapid spread requires the continuous surveillance of coronaviruses in worldwide populations. Epidemiological and clinical data of HCoVs infectious in the Brazilian population are scarce and restricted to one or two groups of patients. Our study aimed to investigate retrospectively the presence of HCoVs in different populations of São Paulo presenting acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) during the years of 2001–2010. A pancoronavirus RT-PCR was performed in this study. Coronaviruses were detected in 126 (11.5%) of 1,087 specimens. Peaks detection frequency was observed during 2002–2004 and 2008–2009, with the highest detection in 2008. The prevalence of HCoVs was higher among children with heart diseases (24.6%), patients under stem cell transplantation program (24.3%) and renal transplanted patients (20.2%). Coryza, cough and fever were the most common symptoms at presentation of positive cases and wheezing, a lower respiratory tract infection symptom was reported by 12% of the total, and 27% of high at-risk patients. HCoVs may have an important role among patients with underlying conditions and transplanted ones.

Coronavirus Infections in the Central Nervous System and Respiratory Tract Show Distinct Features in Hospitalized Children

“…While the incidence of CoV infection in children with acute respiratory tract infection has been previously illustrated [1], to our knowledge this is the first report showing the high incidence of CoV infection in hospitalized children with CNS infection. Since there was no significant difference in the age of patients with CoV-CNS infection, CoV-respiratory tract infection, and healthy controls, the difference in immune blood cell counts between CNS and respiratory tract infection could not be attributed to the difference in patient age, but rather to the difference in the nature of CoV tropism.…”

“…Coronavirus (CoV) is an enveloped virus with a large positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome [1,2,3] belonging to the Coronaviridae family [4]. Human pathogenic CoVs include HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV), and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) [5,6,7].…”

Human coronavirus and severe acute respiratory infection in Southern Brazil

“…Other studies have shown even greater incidence of HCoV infection, up to 12%. 2,8,10 Co-infection with HCoV was observed in 26.5% of samples, and HCoV had the second lowest rate of co-infection within the group of viruses studied, behind only influenza.…”

“…HCoV-229E, -OC43, -NL63, and -HKU1 are endemic worldwide and spread, mainly by the respiratory route. 2 More recently, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been identified, both of which were introduced into the human population by zoonotic transmission, and are associated with severe disease. 3 HCoVs are phylogenetically subdivided into alphacoronaviruses (HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63) and betacoronaviruses (all other strains).…”

“…Groups at high risk include young children, the elderly, immunocompromised patients, and those with underlying conditions such as cardiac or respiratory impairment. 1,2,9 In Brazil, a national laboratory and clinical surveillance system was implemented following the influenza pandemic in 2009. This system aimed to monitor circulating respiratory viruses (RVs) in the country and identify novel viral pathogens.…”