Asthma exacerbations in children associated with rhinovirus but not human metapneumovirus infection.
Children with asthma were studied during the Southern hemisphere winter and summer of 2001-2002. Human rhinovirus (hRV) was significantly associated (P=.0001) with asthma exacerbations in winter and spring/summer, but not in intervening asymptomatic periods. Although hRV was also found in children with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) who underwent sampling at the same time, it was present in significantly higher numbers of children with symptomatic asthma (P<.0001). Human metapneumovirus was also found in small numbers of children with URTI, but significantly less frequently in children with asthma.
Rawlinson
William D
WD
Virology Division, Department of Microbiology, South Eastern Area Laboratory Services, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. w.rawlinson@unsw.edu.au
Waliuzzaman
Zubair
Z
Carter
Ian W
IW
Belessis
Yvonne C
YC
Gilbert
Katarnya M
KM
Morton
John R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000821:virology; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*