Journal Article

Population-Based Incidence of Human Metapneumovirus Infection among Hospitalized Children

Weinberg, Geoffrey A., Silva, David, Hall, Caroline B., Edwards, Kathryn M., Williams, John V., Ye, Dan, Szilagyi, Peter G., Yang, Chin-Fen, Crowe, James E., Zhu, Yuwei, Wang, Chiaoyin K., Spaete, Richard R., Griffin, Marie R.

2010

Overview

Background. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory illness (ARI) in children. Population-based incidence rates and comprehensive clinical characterizations of disease have not been established. Methods. We conducted population-based prospective surveillance for 2 years in 2 US counties of HMPV infection among children <5 years old who were hospitalized with ARI or fever. Nasal and throat specimens obtained with swabs were tested for HMPV by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and genotyped. Results. Forty-two (3.8%) of 1104 children tested positive for HMPV. The overall annual rate of HMPVassociated hospitalizations per 1000 children <5 years old was 1.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9–1.6). This rate was highest among infants 0–5 months old (4.9 per 1000 [95% CI, 2.9–7.2]), followed by children 6–11 months old (2.9 per 1000 [95% CI, 1.4–4.7]). The annual rate of hospitalization for HMPV infection was less than that for respiratory syncytial virus infection but similar to that for influenza and parainfluenza virus 3 infection in all age groups. The mean age of children hospitalized with HMPV infection was 6 months. Bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and asthma were the most common diagnoses among children with HMPV infection. All 4 HMPV subgroups were detected during both years at both sites. HPMV infection was most prominent from March through May. Conclusion. HMPV was detected in 3.8% of children hospitalized with ARI or fever, with a population incidence similar to that of influenza virus and parainfluenza virus 3.

• Publisher: The University of Chicago Press,University of Chicago Press,Oxford University Press
• Subject: Asthma / Biological and medical sciences / Child, Hospitalized / Child, Preschool / Children / Female / Fever / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Genotype / Hospitalization / Human respiratory syncytial virus / Humans / Incidence / Infant / Infant, Newborn / Infections / Infectious diseases / Major And Brief Reports / Male / Medical sciences / Metapneumovirus / Metapneumovirus - classification / Metapneumovirus - genetics / Metapneumovirus - isolation & purification / Microbiology / Miscellaneous / Nose - virology / Orthomyxoviridae / Paramyxoviridae Infections - epidemiology / Paramyxoviridae Infections - pathology / Paramyxoviridae Infections - virology / Pharynx - virology / Prospective Studies / Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology / Respiratory Tract Diseases - pathology / Respiratory Tract Diseases - virology / Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / RNA, Viral - genetics / Specimens / United States / Virology / Viruses