WU polyomavirus infection among children in South China

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and clinical characteristics of children with respiratory infection by WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) in Southern China. Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were collected from 771 children with acute respiratory tract infection admitted to hospital and 82 samples from healthy subjects for routine examination at the outpatient service at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University, Medical College from July 2008 to June 2009. WUPyV was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. All WUPyV-positive specimens were characterized further for nine viruses causing common respiratory infections, including influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV) 1 and 3, human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, adenovirus, and rhinovirus by PCR or real time (RT)-PCR. Fifteen out of 771 specimens from patients with acute respiratory tract infection, but none from healthy subjects, were positive for WUPyV and the positivity rate was 2%. Patients with WUPyV infection were between 2 and 48 months of age, and nine of the patients were male while six female. Four out of 15 patients were co-infected with RSV, one with adenovirus or rhinovirus, respectively. Patients with WUPyV infection displayed predominantly cough, moderate fever, and wheezing, and were diagnosed with pneumonia (n = 8), bronchiolitis (n = 4), upper respiratory tract infections (n = 2) and bronchitis (n = 1). One patient developed encephalitis. Therefore, WUPyV infection can cause acute respiratory tract infection with atypical symptoms, including severe complications, in children.

Epidemiology of respiratory viral infections in children enrolled in a study of influenza vaccine effectiveness

“…In our study, we detected the polyomaviruses WUV and KIV at higher frequencies (mainly as co-infections) than other investigators. [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Children aged <2 years were more often infected than older children, but this barely reached a statistical significance. To date, the pathogenicity and clinical significance of WUV and KIV (discovered in 2007) 3,4 remain unclear and studies, conducted in a variety of settings and with a variety of respiratory disease definitions, have yielded inconsistent results.…”

Isolation and characterization of a subtype C avian metapneumovirus circulating in Muscovy ducks in China

“…It has been hypothesized that either of the two viruses can cross-infect each other, i.e., hMPV might infect turkeys and aMPV-C might infect humans [46]. It should be noted that S-01 was isolated from Guangdong, China, where hMPV were present many years ago [47]. Further studies are needed to determine the relationship between aMPV-C and hMPV.…”

Viral Infections of the Lower Respiratory Tract

“…Similarly, van de Pol et al detected WUPyV at rates of 2.6 % and 2.4 % and KIPyV at a rate of 0 % and 4.8 % in children with or without LRTI, respectively [76]. High co-infection rates of WUPyV (26.7 % to 100 %) and KIPyV (33.3 % to 50 %) with other respiratory viruses convolutes the relationship between these viruses and respiratory diseases [72,[75][76][77]. However, an etiological role of WUPyV and KIPyV in LRTIs has been suggested, because single WUpyV or KIPyV infections have been detected at different titers in patients diagnosed with pneumonia, bronchitis, or bronchiolitis [78,79].…”