title: Human metapneumovirus infections in Mexico: epidemiological and clinical characteristics.
abstract: The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently described respiratory RNA virus that mainly affects children. To date there has not been a report that describes the detection of this virus in Mexico. This study was performed to detect hMPV in hospitalized Mexican children with respiratory infections, and describe their epidemiological and clinical characteristics. Nasal wash samples from 558 children younger than 3 years of age with the admission diagnosis of a respiratory tract infection were evaluated. Respiratory viruses were detected in 221 children [respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 193 (34.6 %); influenza virus, 13 (2.3 %); parainfluenza viruses, 15 (2.7 %)]. Respiratory secretions of 323 children in whom the presence of these viruses was excluded (131 admitted during the 2002-2003 respiratory season and 192 during the 2003-2004 season) were tested for hMPV infection. The hMPV genome was detected in 34 specimens by amplification using real-time RT-PCR. Sequencing of amplicons and phylogenetic analysis indicated the predominance of genotype A hMPV. The months with the highest number of hMPV detections were February and March. During the 2002-2003 season hMPV activity peaked after the RSV season. During the 2003-2004 season hMPV and RSV epidemics occurred simultaneously. The clinical presentation of an hMPV infection was indistinguishable from other respiratory infections. Except for one death, the outcomes of the hMPV infections were good. In this study, among the viruses routinely tested for, hMPV was the second most common agent, after RSV, in children younger than 3 years of age hospitalized with respiratory tract infections.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida V. Carranza 2405, Col. Los Filtros, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 2Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central 'Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto', San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Noyola
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida V. Carranza 2405, Col. Los Filtros, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 2Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central 'Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto', San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Angel G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Alpuche-Solís
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida V. Carranza 2405, Col. Los Filtros, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 2Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central 'Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto', San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Areli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrera-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida V. Carranza 2405, Col. Los Filtros, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 2Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central 'Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto', San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Soria-Guerra
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida V. Carranza 2405, Col. Los Filtros, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 2Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central 'Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto', San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida V. Carranza 2405, Col. Los Filtros, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 2Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Central 'Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto', San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Revilla
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005838:Genotype; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000821:virology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral