Detection of all four human metapneumovirus subtypes in nasopharyngeal specimens from children with respiratory disease in Uberlândia, Brazil.

The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a pathogen of the respiratory tract identified first in the Netherlands in 2001 and since then it has been detected worldwide. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize hMPV in samples collected from children <5 years presenting with acute respiratory disease (ARD) seen at a public hospital in Uberlândia, in Southeastern Brazil. One hundred fourteen nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) samples that were negative for the presence of nine other respiratory viruses were tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the presence of hMPV RNA. Fourteen out of 114 (12.3%) samples were positive for presence of hMPV RNA. PCR products, obtained by the amplification of partial nucleotide sequence of gene N, were sequenced and compared with sequences deposited in GenBank. Sequences from eight samples were obtained and all four subtypes were identified. Also, the recently proposed sublineages "a" and "b" of subtype A2 were found; mean age was 21 months old; upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) was the most common clinical symptom; the virus was detected in samples collected from March to November, a period that corresponds to late summer to mid-spring in Brazil. This is the first study to describe the circulation of all hMPV subtypes in Minas Gerais state.

Clinical-epidemiological evaluation of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children attended in a public hospital in midwestern Brazil.

UNLABELLED: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for annual respiratory infection outbreaks in infants and young children worldwide, frequently causing bronchiolitis and pneumonia. We evaluated clinical and epidemiological features of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children less than five years old. Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children with ARI symptoms, attended at the 'Hospital das Clínicas'--Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil, were collected and tested for RSV by the immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Patients' clinical and epidemiological data were also obtained. From April 2000 to June 2003, 317 nasopharyngeal samples were collected from children less than 54 months old. Seventy-six samples (24.0%) were positive for RSV, with 53% (40/76) obtained from male patients. Hospitalization occurred in 50% (38/76) of the cases, with an average period of 10.6 days, in most cases (87%, 33/38) occurring in children less than 12 months of age. Although an association between this age group and the presentation of more severe clinical symptoms was observed, such as bronchiolitis in 51% (27/53) of the patients and pneumonia in 19% (10/53), no patients died. RSV was found from February to August, with the highest incidence in May. CONCLUSIONS: RSV is an important agent that causes ARIs; the clinical manifestations varied from mild to severe and patients frequently required hospitalization; RSV mostly affected children less than one year old.

Clinical-epidemiological evaluation of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children attended in a public hospital in midwestern Brazil

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for annual respiratory infection outbreaks in infants and young children worldwide, frequently causing bronchiolitis and pneumonia. We evaluated clinical and epidemiological features of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children less than five years old. Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children with ARI symptoms, attended at the 'Hospital das Clínicas' - Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil, were collected and tested for RSV by the immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Patients' clinical and epidemiological data were also obtained. From April 2000 to June 2003, 317 nasopharyngeal samples were collected from children less than 54 months old. Seventy-six samples (24.0 percent) were positive for RSV, with 53 percent (40/76) obtained from male patients. Hospitalization occurred in 50 percent (38/76) of the cases, with an average period of 10.6 days, in most cases (87 percent, 33/38) occurring in children less than 12 months of age. Although an association between this age group and the presentation of more severe clinical symptoms was observed, such as bronchiolitis in 51 percent (27/53) of the patients and pneumonia in 19 percent (10/53), no patients died. RSV was found from February to August, with the highest incidence in May. Conclusions: RSV is an important agent that causes ARIs; the clinical manifestations varied from mild to severe and patients frequently required hospitalization; RSV mostly affected children less than one year old.

Clinical patterns and seasonal trends in respiratory syncytial virus hospitalizations in Säo Paulo, Brazil

The respiratory viruses are recognized as the most frequent lower respiratory tract pathogens for infants and young children in developed countries but less is known for developing populations....

Infecçöes virais em crianças internadas por doença aguda no trato respiratório inferior / Viral infections in hospitalized children affected by acute lower respiratory tract disease

Objetivo: Avaliar a freqüência dos principais vírus respiratórios em crianças internadas por doença do trato respiratório inferior em hospital universitário. Métodos: Foi realizado estudo prospectivo que incluiu duas coortes de crianças internadas no período de abril a julho de 1996. Os grupos selecionados segundo a presença de patologia deo trato respiratório inferior: Grupo A - com doença aguda (tempo de história inferior a sete dias), e B-sem patologia respiratória presente ou recente. Os parâmetros para definiçäo de doença do trato respiratório inferior incluíram alteraçöes na propedêutica pulmonar e/ou às radiografias simples do tórax. Foram pré-definidos critérios clínicos e radiológicos para classificaçäo das doenças do trato respiratório inferior no grupo A. Foi coletado, à internaçäo, material da nasofaringe de todas as crianças para detecçäo de vírus, através de cultura em meio celular e por imunofluorescência direta. Resultados: Foram selecionados 201 casos, 126 no grupo A e 75 no grupo B. Foram identificados vírus em 71 crianças do grupo A (56,4 por cento), enquanto eram somente 3 no grupo B (4,0 por cento). Nas crianças do grupo A foi predominante o vírus respiratório sincicial, detectado em 66 casos, sendo também identificados adenovírus (4) e influenza (1) em outros pacientes. No grupo B foram identificados dois pacientes com vírus respiratório sincicial e um com adenovírus. Os pacientes do grupo A que apresentavam vírus respiratório sincicial tinham mediana de idade (3 meses) menor do que os outros casos deste grupo (13 meses) e apresentavam mais sibilância ao exame físico (78,7 por cento versus 33,3 por cento). Este vírus esteve associado à maior parte dos casos de broquiolite (84 por cento) e à metade das pneumonias (46,4 por cento). Conclusöes: Os autores constataram uma significativa presença de vírus na maior parte dos casos de crianças internadas com patologia aguda do trato respitatório inferior...