title: Clinical and molecular epidemiology of human rhinovirus C in children and adults in Hong Kong reveals a possible distinct human rhinovirus C subgroup.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A novel human rhinovirus (HRV) species, HRV-C, was recently discovered, but its clinical features and epidemiology, compared with HRV-A and HRV-B, remains poorly understood, especially in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand two hundred nasopharyngeal aspirate samples obtained from hospitalized children and adults during a 1-year period were subject to reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to detect HRV. The clinical and molecular epidemiology of the 3 HRV species was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HRVs were detected in 178 (29.7%) of 600 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children and 42 (7%) of 600 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from adults. HRV-A was most prevalent (n=11), followed by HRV-C (n=91) and HRV-B (n=18). Although upper respiratory tract infection was the most common presentation in children, 8 (62%) of the 13 adults with HRV-C infection had pneumonia, compared with 6 (27%) of the 22 adults with HRV-A infection (P<.05). Wheezing episodes were also more common among individuals with HRV-C (37%) and HRV-A (20%) infection than among those with HRV-B (0%) infection (P<.05). Clinical and molecular data analysis revealed HRV-C as a frequent cause of community and institutionalized outbreaks. A diverse set of HRV-C genotypes was circulating throughout the year, among which a potential distinct subgroup of strains was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRV-C is associated with pneumonia in adults and outbreaks of respiratory infections requiring hospitalization. A potential novel HRV-C subgroup was identified.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. pcywoo@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Cyril C Y
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: Ada W C
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Rodney A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Lok-Yee
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Yu-Lung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Kwok-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Kwok-Yung
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult