Related Experiment Videos
Human coronavirus NL63, France
Astrid Vabret1, Thomas Mourez, Julia Dina
1University Hospital, Caen, France. vabret-a@chu-caen.fr
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|August 17, 2005
Summary
Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) was detected in 9.3% of hospitalized children with respiratory infections in France. Phylogenetic analysis revealed diverse HCoV-NL63 strains circulating during the study period.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) is an emerging respiratory pathogen.
- Its epidemiological presence in France remained uncharacterized prior to this study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the circulation and genetic diversity of HCoV-NL63 in hospitalized children with respiratory tract infections in France.
Main Methods:
- Respiratory specimens from 300 hospitalized children were tested for HCoV-NL63 between November 2002 and April 2003.
- Positive samples underwent sequencing of a spike protein gene fragment for phylogenetic analysis.
Main Results:
- HCoV-NL63 was detected in 28 (9.3%) of the 300 respiratory specimens.
- Prevalence peaked in February (18%).
- Commonly associated symptoms included fever, rhinitis, bronchiolitis, and digestive issues.
Conclusions:
- HCoV-NL63 circulates in France among hospitalized children with respiratory infections.
- Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the cocirculation of genetically distinct HCoV-NL63 strains in France.