Human bocavirus in Iranian children with acute respiratory infections.
Human bocavirus (HBoV), a virus discovered in Sweden in 2005, has been associated with acute respiratory infections in young children and subsequent reports suggest that HBoV may have a worldwide distribution. This report describes the frequency and clinical presentation of HBoV in 261 Iranian children<5 years old with acute respiratory infections attending two regional hospitals in Rasht, Iran in the winter of 2003-2004. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) were used for the detection of HBoV and other respiratory pathogens from nasopharyngeal specimens. HBoV was detected in 21 (8%) children. Fifteen (12%) of these children were identified among 122 children admitted to hospital and 6 (4%) from 139 outpatients (P < 0.05). Most children with HBoV were less than 2 years (17/21, 81%) and 7 (33%) were less than 1 year old. Although HBoV was identified in all ages it affected slightly older children than the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The frequency of the virus varied from 1 (3%) in 40 patients in November to 7 (12%) of 61 in February, suggesting a seasonal pattern during the autumn and early winter. Seven children had co-infections with RSV, adenovirus or influenza A. The relatively high frequency of HBoV suggests that the virus may contribute substantially to acute respiratory infections in children.
Naghipour
Mohammadreza
M
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Cuevas
Luis E
LE
Bakhshinejad
Tahereh
T
Dove
Winifred
W
Hart
C Anthony
CA
D000208:Acute Disease; D052660:Bocavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012621:Seasons