High seroprevalence of human metapneumovirus among young children in Israel.
Exposure to the newly discovered human metapneumovirus (HMPV) during the first 2 years of life was studied by longitudinal serological analysis in 40 healthy children in southern Israel. The seropositivity rate decreased to a minimum by age 13 months and increased to 52% by age 24 months. Evidence of new infection was detected in 13%, 23%, and 55% of children by ages 7, 13, and 24 months, respectively. The high exposure rates suggest that HMPV may be an important cause of community-acquired respiratory-tract infections in young children.
Wolf
Dana G
DG
Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and of Virology, Hadassah University Hospital and Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. wolfd@md2.huji.ac.il
Zakay-Rones
Zichria
Z
Fadeela
Ayman
A
Greenberg
David
D
Dagan
Ron
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral