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Detection of human bocavirus in hospitalised children
Julia Dina1, Astrid Vabret, Stephanie Gouarin
1Laboratory of Virology, University Hospital of Caen, Caen, France. dina-j@chu-caen.fr
Insights
Human bocavirus (HBoV) is frequently detected in hospitalised children, often alongside other respiratory viruses. HBoV infection is primarily linked to lower respiratory tract infections, with some cases of upper respiratory tract infection and gastroenteritis observed.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified parvovirus with an increasing recognition of its role in human respiratory and enteric diseases.
- Understanding the prevalence and clinical significance of HBoV in pediatric populations is crucial for effective diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of human bocavirus (HBoV) in hospitalized children.
- To investigate the clinical manifestations and associated symptoms linked to HBoV detection in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of respiratory specimens from two cohorts of hospitalized children (2003-2004 and 2004-2005).
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect HBoV and other respiratory viruses in nasal aspirates and stool samples.
Main Results:
- HBoV was detected in 1.3% of specimens in the first group and 1.6% in the second group, often in children negative for other common respiratory viruses.
- Common symptoms included rhinitis, cough, dyspnea, wheezing, fever, and diarrhea. Associated diagnoses were bronchiolitis, rhinopharyngitis, asthma exacerbation, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis.
- Mixed viral infections were observed in some HBoV-positive cases.
Conclusions:
- HBoV detection is significant in hospitalized children, irrespective of co-infection with other respiratory viruses.
- HBoV is predominantly associated with lower respiratory tract infections, and less frequently with upper respiratory tract infections and gastroenteritis.
Aim:
The objectives of this study are to assess the frequency of human bocavirus (HBoV) infection in hospitalised children and to study the clinical symptoms associated with the detection of HBoV.
Methods:
Two groups of hospitalised children were included in this study: group 1 consisted of 1946 children hospitalised from 1st September 2004 to 30th May 2005, and group 2 consisted of 448 children hospitalised from 1st November 2003 to 30th March 2004. The respiratory specimens were tested by polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
In the first group, HBoV was detected by polymerise chain reaction in 11/828 (1.3%) of nasal specimens that tested negative for other respiratory viruses. One child tested positive for HBoV in both a nasal aspirate and stool sample. In the second group, nasal specimens were tested for all respiratory viruses, including HBoV. The presence of HBoV infection was detected in seven children (1.6%). Detection of a mixed viral population was observed in four of these children. The main symptoms in children infected with HBoV were rhinitis (50%), cough (45%), dyspnoea (28%), wheezing (28%), fever (23%) and diarrhoea (22%). The final clinical diagnoses were bronchiolitis (seven children), rhinopharyngitis (five children), the exacerbation of asthma (two children) and pneumonia (one child). Moreover, four children have associated gastroenteritis.
Conclusion:
These results contribute to the interest in the HBoV detection in children. HBoV detection in hospitalised children with or without any other respiratory virus detection was essentially associated with lower respiratory tract infection and in a lower score with upper respiratory tract infection and gastroenteritis.
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