Detection and clinical characterization of WU polyomavirus with acute respiratory tract infection in children, Guangdong of China

Abstract

Background: In 2007, Gaynor et al. discovered a previously unidentified human polyomavirus in respiratory secretions obtained from human patients with symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection. T his new virus was designated WU polyomavirus.To investigate the frequency of it infections in GuangDong, China, We sought to describe the detection and clinical characterization of WU Polyomavirus with infection in Children.Methods: From July 2008 through June 2009, nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from 771 child ren who were hospitalized with acute lower respiratory tract infection in Second Affiliated Hos pital of Shantou University Medical College, and 82 were asymptomatic who visited the wellb eing clinic .WU Polyomaviruses was detected by using PCR technology and was identified by using DNA sequences. All WU polyomavirus positive specimens were screened for 9 comme n viruses (influenza A and B; RSV; PIV 1 and 3; human metapneumovirus; human bocavirus; adenovirus; rhinovirus)by using PCR or RT-PCR.Results: In this study, fifteen of the 771 tested specimens with acute lower respiratory tract infection were positive fo r WU polyomavirus, the positive rate was 1.95%. and all of the asymptomatic children who vis ited the wellbeing clinic were negative. Positive specimens were noted for patients 2 months to 48 months of age, the median age was 18.8 months. Of the 15 WU Polyomaviruses positive patients, 9 (60%) were male.,6(40%) were female.WU polyomavirus was the sole virus detected in 9 spe cimens(60%) from patients with acute respiratory tract infection. WU polyomavirus were asso ciated with the coinfection of another respiratory virus in 6 of 15 (40%), most frequently with RSV (n = 4),follo wed by adenovirus (n = 1) and rhinovirus (n = 1). The most common clinical findings in the pa tients with WU polyomavirus are cough,fever, wheezing.The most frequent diagnoses were pneumonia (n = 8),bronchiolitis(n = 4), upper respiratory tract infections (n = 2) and bronchitis(n = 1).A severe case was complication with viral encephalitis.Conclusion: We suggests that WU Polyomaviruses may be a respiratory pathogen because WU polyomav irus was the sole virus detected in 9 specimens from patients with respiratory illness and all of the asymptomatic were negative.The most common clinical findings are cough and wheezing .Young children are the main target. And the pathogenetic condition are generally mild. More comprehensive studies are required to prove these viruses are agents causing respiratory disease.