[Human metapneumovirus in children: first cases in Colombia]. / Metaneumovirus humano en niños: primeros casos en Colombia.

Human metapneumovirus is a newly discovered pathogen associated with respiratory disease and occurring mainly in children. It produces an acute viral respiratory disease picture that varies from mild disease to severe, and which can require strict surveillance in intensive care units. Currently, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and cell culture are the most common methods for its diagnosis. The first six cases of human metapneumovirus in Colombia are presented from Medellín.