title: Clinical, virological and epidemiological characteristics of rhinovirus infections in early childhood: A comparison between non-hospitalised and hospitalised children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have been published regarding the epidemiology and clinical significance of the different rhinovirus (RV) species (-A, -B and -C). However, data on RV types and the associations with clinical outcome in young children are limited. Here, we investigated the clinical, virological and epidemiological characteristics of RV infections in young children with mild or asymptomatic infection (non-hospitalised children) and in symptomatic young children admitted to the hospital.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between different characteristics of RV infections and clinical outcome in young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  RV-infected children were retrospectively selected from a Dutch birth cohort (EUROPA-study) and from hospitalised children admitted to the hospital because of respiratory symptoms. In total 120 RV-typed samples could be selected from 65 non-hospitalised and 49 hospitalised children between November 2009 and December 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RV-A was the predominant species in both study populations, followed closely by RV-C. RV-B was observed only sporadically. The distribution of the RV species was comparable in non-hospitalised and hospitalised children. In children with respiratory distress who required ICU-admission the distribution of RV species did not differ significantly from the non-hospitalised children. No predominant RV type was present in non-hospitalised nor hospitalised children. However, hospitalised children were younger, had more often an underlying illness, a higher RV load and more frequently a bacterial co-infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical outcome of RV infected young children was not related to RV species or types, but may more likely be influenced by multiple (host-specific) factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.h.bruning@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Andrea H L
authors.initials: AHL
authors.lastname: Bruning
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Xiomara V
authors.initials: XV
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lonneke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joanne G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wildenbeest
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: René P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Minnaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rogier R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Menno D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Sterk
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marc P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: van der Schee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Katja C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Wolthers
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dasja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pajkrt
mesh_terms: D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000821:virology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019562:Viral Load
keywords: Clinical outcome; Epidemiology; Respiratory tract infection; Rhinovirus