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Human metapneumovirus in children tested at a tertiary-care hospital
Alexander J McAdam1, Meredith E Hasenbein, Henry A Feldman
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. alexander.mcadam@tch.harvard.edu
Background:
Respiratory infections are the leading cause of outpatient visits in the United States, but the etiology of many of these infections is unknown. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently discovered virus that causes respiratory infections.
Methods:
Respiratory specimens obtained from patients
Results:
hMPV was detected in 6.2% of patients tested and was significantly more common among children 3-24 months old than in older or younger children. The seasonal occurrence of hMPV was similar to that of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza virus, with most cases occurring in the winter and spring. In this tertiary care-center population, patients with hMPV infection often had underlying chronic conditions.
Conclusions:
hMPV is common among young children with apparent respiratory infections, suggesting that it is a significant cause of symptomatic respiratory infections.
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