Human (non-severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus infections in hospitalised children in France.
OBJECTIVE
This study has two objectives: to study the clinical symptoms associated with the detection of the four human coronaviruses (HCoVs), 229E, OC43, NL63 and HKU1 types, in the respiratory specimens sampled from hospitalised children in France between September 2004 and May 2005; and to develop a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay allowing for the simultaneous detection of the four HCoVs.


METHODS
1002 respiratory specimens were tested for HCoVs. The clinical and epidemiological data were compared on the basis of the type HCoV infection.


RESULTS
A hundred coronaviruses, 33 NL63, 2229E, 27 OC43 and 38 HKU1, were detected in 97 (9.8%) of 1002 samples negative in routine tests. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the study children were compared in three groups, 24 OC43-, 27 NL63- and 34 HKU1-infected children. HCoVs were identified mainly in children with upper and lower respiratory tract infections (50.5% vs. 29.4%). The significant difference in clinical presentation between the three coronavirus groups was the very low association between lower respiratory tract illness and HKU1 detection.


CONCLUSIONS
HCoV detection in hospitalised children without any other respiratory virus detection was associated with upper and a significant rate of lower respiratory tract illness. The four types of HCoVs were detected, and new types NL63 and HKU1 represented a substantial portion of detection. The multiplex RT-PCR enabled a sensitive one-time detection and the characterisation of all of the known HCoV types with the exception severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus.
Vabret
Astrid
A
Laboratory of Virology, University Hospital of Caen, Caen, France.
Dina
Julia
J
Gouarin
Stéphanie
S
Petitjean
Joëlle
J
Tripey
Valérie
V
Brouard
Jacques
J
Freymuth
François
F
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D028941:Coronavirus 229E, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D028962:Coronavirus OC43, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000821:virology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction