Frequent detection of viral coinfection in children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection using a real-time polymerase chain reaction.
BACKGROUND
Respiratory viruses are the main cause of acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) in children. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is highly practicable for the rapid detection of viral pathogens. The simultaneous detection of a broad spectrum of viruses enables the diagnosis and evaluation of viral coinfection in ARI.


METHODS
A 1-step real-time PCR was developed for the detection of 12 respiratory viruses (10 RNA and 2 DNA viruses) in clinical samples. Clinical samples from 254 children admitted to the Departments of Pediatrics with ARI during a 10-month period were tested.


RESULTS
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most frequently detected pathogen in 112 samples (44.1%), followed by human bocavirus (hBoV) in 49 (19.3%), and rhinovirus in 17 samples (6.7%). Viral coinfection was detected in 41 (16.1%) samples with RSV and hBoV being the most dominating combination (27 cases, 10.6%). Viral coinfection was found in 10 cases (17%) of children with bronchitis (n = 58) and in 7 cases (23%) of bronchiolitis (n = 30). In patients with pneumonia (n = 51), 17 cases (33%) were positive for 2 or more viral pathogens.


CONCLUSIONS
Simultaneous testing of respiratory viruses by real-time PCR is a suitable tool for the detection of viral coinfections. In children hospitalized because of respiratory infection viral coinfection is frequently detected with RSV and hBoV being a common combination.
Institute for Virology, University of Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
Linda
L
Bonzel
Tobias
T
Tenenbaum
Horst
H
Schroten
Oliver
O
Schildgen
Susanne
S
Schweitzer-Krantz
Ortwin
O
Adams
D000293:Adolescent; D052660:Bocavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*