title: Epidemiology and genetic variability of human metapneumovirus during a 4-year-long study in Southeastern Brazil.
abstract: Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) were compared with human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) in infants and young children admitted for acute lower respiratory tract infections in a prospective study during four consecutive years in subtropical Brazil. GeneScan polymerase chain assays (GeneScan RT-PCR) were used to detect hMPV and hRSV in nasopharyngeal aspirates of 1,670 children during January 2003 to December 2006. hMPV and hRSV were detected, respectively, in 191 (11.4%) and in 702 (42%) of the children admitted with acute lower respiratory tract infections at the Sao Paulo University Hospital. Sequencing data of the hMPV F gene revealed that two groups of the virus, each divided into two subgroups, co-circulated during three consecutive years. It was also shown that a clear dominance of genotype B1 occurred during the years 2004 and 2005, followed by genotype A2 during 2006.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danielle B L
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Edison L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Durigon
authors.forename: Ariane C L
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Andréa L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Thereza S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Luciano M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Thomazelli
authors.forename: Claudia T P
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Alfredo E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gilio
authors.forename: Klaus E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Stewien