Metatranscriptome study of human respiratory
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRls), defined as clinician-confirmed or radiologically confirmed pneumonia or bronchiolitis. are a leadina infectious cause of illness and deatheading to a substantial disease burden worldwide. Various bacteria, viruses, and fungi areresponsible for LRls. with viruses as maior pathogens. Although intensive etiolodicalinvestigations have been conducted, the causative agents remain unknown in a considerableproportion of LRls. We have discovered a previously unrecognized virus through meta-transcriptomic sequencing from sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and oropharyngeal swabsamples of epidemiologically unrelated patients with LRls based on an etiologicasurveillance project at Beijing metropolis, China.