Age-related pattern of KI and WU polyomavirus infection.
BACKGROUND
The role of two recently identified polyomaviruses, KI and WU, in the causation of respiratory disease has not been established.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of KI and WU viruses (KIV and WUV) in 371 respiratory samples and evaluate their contribution to respiratory disease.


METHODS
Specimens were screened for KIV and WUV using single, multiplex or real time PCR; co-infection with other respiratory viruses was evaluated.


RESULTS
Of the 371 samples analysed, 10 (2.70%) were positive for KIV and 4 (1.08%) were positive for WUV yielding an overall case prevalence of KIV and WUV infection of 3.77%. KIV and WUV were identified in patients aged<15 years (11 patients) with upper or lower respiratory tract infection and >45 years (3 patients) with upper respiratory tract infection. Co-infections were found in 5 (50%) and 3 (75%) of the KIV and WUV positive samples, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports previous conclusions that KIV and WUV detection in the respiratory tract may be coincidental and reflect reactivation of latent or persistent infection with these viruses. The age distribution of KIV and WUV infection in this study mirrors that found for the other human polyomaviruses, BK and JC.
Virology, Genomic Epidemiology Research Group, School of Translational Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK. Bahman.Abedi-Kiasari@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
B
B
Abedi Kiasari
P J
PJ
Vallely
C E
CE
Corless
M
M
Al-Hammadi
P E
PE
Klapper
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA