Report on influenza A and B viruses: their coinfection in a Saudi leukemia patient.
OBJECTIVE
Influenza A and B viruses are the leading cause of respiratory infections in children worldwide, particularly in developing countries. There is a lack of data on coinfection of influenza A and B viruses circulating in Saudi Arabia. In this study, we aimed to identify the circulation of influenza viruses that contribute to respiratory tract infections in Saudi children.


METHODS
We collected 80 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from hospitalized children with acute respiratory illness (ARI) at Riyadh during the period extended from October 2010 till April 2011. Samples were tested for the common respiratory viruses including influenza viruses by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
Overall, 6 samples were found positive for influenza A and/or B viruses. Among these positive clinical samples, only one collected sample from a female one-year-old immunocompromised child with leukemia showed a coinfection with influenza A and B viruses. In present study coinfection was confirmed by inoculation of the clinical specimen in specific pathogenfree embryonating chicken eggs and identification of the virus isolates by hemagglutination and one-step RT-PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
This study opens the scene for studying the role of influenza virus's coinfection in disease severity and virus evolution. Further studies are required to better understand the clinical importance of viral coinfection.
Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ; Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad N
FN
Almajhdi
Ghazanfar
G
Ali
D060085:Coinfection / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D004996:Ethidium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D029521:Alphainfluenzavirus / Q000502:physiology*; D029524:Betainfluenzavirus / Q000502:physiology*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D012529:Saudi Arabia
D004996:Ethidium