The association of rhinoviruses with lower respiratory tract disease in hospitalized patients

Abstract

An analysis of 32 hospitalized infants and children from whom rhinoviruses were isolated in our diagnostic laboratories in 1982-83 suggests that these agents are associated with lower respiratory tract disease with focal findings in susceptible patients. In 23 cases, an acute lower respiratory disease was the cause for admission, while nine patients were cultured after new respiratory symptoms developed during hospitalization. Presenting signs and symptoms included cough (23), fever (19), rhinorrhea (19), respiratory distress (14), and decreased feeding (15). Seventeen of 25 chest x-rays showed new focal abnormalities. Twenty-five patients had a significant underlying disease including seven with malignancies, six with respiratory tract abnormalities, and four with congenital heart lesions. Six of the remaining seven patients were less than 2 1/2 months of age. In no cases were significant bacterial or fungal pathogens isolated; two did have concomitant viral isolates. Rhinoviruses in the appropriate clinical setting are associated with significant pulmonary disease.

Detection of Rhinoviruses by Tissue Culture and Two Independent Amplification Techniques, Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification and Reverse Transcription-PCR, in Children with Acute Respiratory Infections during a Winter Season

“…In earlier studies, group A RVs were also detected less frequently than group B RVs (1,2,24,26,32). Although at present, a higher number of group B RVs is known than group A RVs, analysis of epidemiological data indicated that group B RVs produced more than twice as many clinical infections per serotype as group A RVs did.…”

“…However, they may also be associated with more-severe lower respiratory tract infections in children, in the elderly (23,24,30,33), and in immunocompromised patients (14,39,48,49). RVs have been isolated from cases of cystic fibrosis (44), otitis media (3), sinusitis (37), and exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and asthma (12,21,22,34).…”

Human Rhinovirus 87 and Enterovirus 68 Represent a Unique Serotype with Rhinovirus and Enterovirus Features

“…Despite a careful search for rhinovirus and enterovirus isolation data, no references were found in the literature to the isolation of either EV68 or HRV87 from clinical specimens after their first appearance and characterization. Serotyping of rhinovirus isolates is laborious and has been carried out in only a few studies (6,14,16,18). However, the typing of enteroviruses has been widespread and has resulted in lengthy reports of clinical enterovirus findings.…”

Assay for 5′ Noncoding Region Analysis of All Human Rhinovirus Prototype Strains

“…HRVs have been found to replicate effectively in lower airways and have been recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage fluids and bronchial biopsy samples (13,19,22,27,28). These viruses have been implicated as causes of asthma exacerbations (9,25) and severe respiratory tract illnesses in children, the immunosuppressed, and the elderly (3,5,7,21,29).…”