WU polyomavirus detection in a pediatric liver transplant recipient with interstitial pneumonitis.

The WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) was detected by real-time PCR in the sputum of a pediatric liver transplant recipient with interstitial pneumonitis. A lower viral load was observed seven months after the initial detection. The case provides circumstantial evidence suggesting a potential role for WUPyV as a respiratory pathogen in immunocompromised children.

Clinical characteristics of influenza virus-induced lower respiratory infection during the 2015 to 2016 season.

BACKGROUND: Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infections often manifest severe respiratory symptoms, particularly in patients with a past history of allergic disease. Most of these findings were reported during the 2009 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to detail the clinical characteristics of influenza virus-induced lower respiratory infection (LRI) during the A(H1N1)pdm09-predominant 2015-2016 season. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics of influenza-induced LRI cases in children admitted to a tertiary children's hospital. Molecular diagnostic evaluation was performed on samples obtained from the most severe cases. RESULTS: We identified 66 patients with influenza-associated hospitalization and included 21 patients with influenza virus-induced LRI for analyses. Twelve patients (57%) were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, seven (33%) required mechanical ventilation, and three (14%) required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Plastic bronchitis (PB) was identified in six patients (29%), among whom a past medical history of asthma or food allergy were noted in all six patients. A past history of allergic disease was more common among patients with, than among those without, PB (p = 0.009). A(H1N1)pdm09 was detected from all the PB cases, and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes demonstrated that this virus belonged to subclades 6B.1 and 6B.2. In the six PB cases, we found one patient with H275Y mutation in neuraminidase. CONCLUSION: Allergic disease was a risk factor for developing PB due to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection during the 2015-16 season.

WU polyomavirus detected in children with severe respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) is a relatively new virus associated with respiratory infections. However, its role is unclear in children with severe respiratory failure. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of severe respiratory failure associated with WUPyV infection in children. STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed cases of respiratory tract infection at a tertiary children's hospital in Japan and performed real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for WUPyV using residual extracted nucleic acid samples taken from respiratory tract samples of pediatric patients primarily with respiratory failure. We investigated the clinical characteristics of patients positive for WUPyV and assessed samples positive for WUPyV for other respiratory pathogens using multiplex PCR. RESULTS: WUPyV was detected in 14 of 318 specimens of respiratory tract infections. The median age was 34 months and males were predominant (n = 11, 64%). An underlying disease was found in 11 (79%) patients including five preterm and three immunocompromised patients. The most common clinical diagnosis was pneumonia (n = 13, 93%). The majority of the samples were endotracheal tube aspirates (n = 11, 79%). Other viruses were co-detected in nine (64%) patients, while WUPyV was the only pathogen detected in five patients with a history of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. These five patients presented with fever and cough, and perihilar infiltrates were detected on chest radiograph in several days. CONCLUSIONS: WUPyV was detected in children with severe respiratory failure independently or concurrently with other pathogens. WUPyV can be a pathogen for children with a history of preterm birth or an underlying disease.