title: Prevalence of Human metapneumovirus infection among patients with influenza-like illness: Report from a Tertiary Care Centre, Southern India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), discovered in the 21st century, has emerged as an important cause of influenza-like illness in children and adults causing mild upper respiratory tract infection to severe bronchiolitis and community-associated pneumonia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HMPV in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India, as part of National Influenza Surveillance Programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2011 to December 2013, a total of 447 nasopharyngeal samples were collected from patients with acute respiratory infections and tested for HMPV RNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HMPV was identified in 23/447 (5%) samples with 11/23 in the age group of 14-30 years. Most of the HMPV infections were mild with no fatalities. Two patients were co-infected with the respiratory syncytial virus and one with influenza B virus. The seasonal distribution showed increasing HMPV infection cases in rainy months except for a peak in summer of 2012. Phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of the nucleoprotein gene of one HMPV strain showed a high degree of sequence identity with Indian strains obtained during 2006 and 2011.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that HMPV infection is more common in adults than in children. Sequence homology suggests the circulation of closely related HMPV strains within the country.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nandhini
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sujatha
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhodapkar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamilarasu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Biswal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral