title: Human rhinovirus and human respiratory enterovirus (EV68 and EV104) infections in hospitalized patients in Italy, 2008-2009.
abstract: The epidemiology of picornavirus infections along with associated risk factors for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and duration of virus shedding were investigated in 985 hospitalized patients in the period October 2008-September 2009. One-third of patients were human rhinovirus (HRV)-positive. Of 336 HRV-associated episodes, 153 (45.5%) were sustained by HRV-A, 31 (9.2%) by HRV-B, and 93 (27.7%) by HRV-C, while 7 episodes showed multiple HRV types and 52 were sustained by undefined HRV species. Independent risk factors for LRTI included high viral load and age less than 5 years. Twenty (2.1%) patients were enterovirus (EV)-positive (12 had EV-68, 7 EV-104, and 1 E-13 infection). Half of the EV-positive patients had a LRTI and were younger with respect to patients with upper RTI (median 18 months versus 37 years; P < 0.001). HRVs are often the cause of LRTI in children less than 5 years, frequently in association with a high viral load.
authors.affiliation: S.S. Virologia Molecolare, S.C. Virologia e Microbiologia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piralla
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lilleri
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarasini
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zecca
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stronati
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldanti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D017201:Virus Shedding