Human metapneumovirus infection plays an etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization in adults.
We determined the prevalence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in adults with asthma who were prospectively enrolled after hospitalization for an acute asthma exacerbation. Nasal wash specimens collected at admission and 3 months after discharge were tested for hMPV by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. hMPV was detected in 7 (6.9%) of 101 subjects at hospitalization and in 1 (1.3%) of 75 subjects at follow-up (odds ratio, 7 [95% confidence interval, 0.9-312]; P=.03). None of the patients with hMPV infection at hospitalization tested positive at follow-up, strongly suggesting that hMPV plays a direct etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations.
Williams
John V
JV
Departments of Pediatric, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-8300, USA.
Crowe
James E
JE
Enriquez
Rachel
R
Minton
Patricia
P
Peebles
R Stokes
RS
Hamilton
Robert G
RG
Higgins
Stanley
S
Griffin
Marie
M
Hartert
Tina V
TV
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index