title: WU and KI polyomavirus infections in Filipino children with lower respiratory tract disease.
abstract: WU and KI are human polyomaviruses initially detected in the respiratory tract, whose clinical significance remains uncertain.
  
  
  
  To determine the epidemiology, viral load and clinical characteristics of WU and KI polyomaviruses.
  
  
  
  We tested respiratory specimens collected during a randomized, placebo-controlled pneumococcal conjugate vaccine trial and related epidemiological study in the Philippines. We analyzed 1077 nasal washes from patients aged 6 weeks to 5 years who developed lower respiratory tract illness using quantitative real-time PCR for WU and KI. We collected data regarding presenting symptoms, signs, radiographic findings, laboratory data and coinfection.
  
  
  
  The prevalence and co-infection rates for WU were 5.3% and 74% respectively and 4.2% and 84% respectively for KI. Higher KI viral loads were observed in patients with severe or very severe pneumonia, those presenting with chest indrawing, hypoxia without wheeze, convulsions, and with KI monoinfection compared with co-infection. There was no significant association between viral load and clinical presentation for WU.
  
  
  
  These findings suggest a potential pathogenic role for KI, and that there is an association between KI viral load and illness severity.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Suchitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Health, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Marilla G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lucero
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nohynek
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Health, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tallo
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Socorro P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lupisan
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Garcea
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA. Electronic address: eric.simoes@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Eric A F
authors.initials: EAF
authors.lastname: Simões
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000821:virology; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
keywords: KI; Lower respiratory tract disease; Polyomavirus; Respiratory viruses; Viral load; WU