title: Human respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus in patients with acute respiratory infection in Colombia, 2000 - 2011.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in Colombia from 2000 - 2011, including seasonal trends.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasopharyngeal aspirates and/or throat swabs from 14 870 patients with acute respiratory infections (ARI) were studied. Two subgroups were analyzed using molecular biology techniques. The first consisted of 264 RSV indirect fluorescence assay (IFA)-positive samples, the second of 264 RSV IFA-negative samples. RSV and hMPV were detected using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  2 799 samples (18.8%) contained a respiratory virus. RSV was detected by IFA in 1 333 samples (8.9%). RSV was detected by RT-PCR in 192 samples from the RSV IFA-positive subgroup and in 25 samples from the RSV IFA-negative subgroup. hMPV was detected in eight samples from the RSV IFA-positive subgroup and in 11 samples from the RSV IFA-negative subgroup. Among the RSV infections, subtype A was dominant in two-year intervals, subtype B was dominant in one-year intervals. 85.3% of RSV and 74% of hMPV infections occurred in children younger than 5 years old. RSV and hMPV infections were associated with rainy seasons. Co-infection with RSV A and RSV B was detected in two patients. Five cases of co-infection with RSV and hMPV were detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report is the first to examine the epidemiology of ARIs in Colombia, with an emphasis on RSV and hMPV. The samples studied here were obtained over a 12-year period and represent all age groups and both genders.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia, apaezm@ins.gov.co.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barbosa Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia, apaezm@ins.gov.co.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pulido Dominguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia, apaezm@ins.gov.co.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rey Benito
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia, apaezm@ins.gov.co.
authors.forename: Jairo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mendez Rico
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castellanos
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia, apaezm@ins.gov.co.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Páez Martinez
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus; D008875:Middle Aged; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult