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Aetiology of influenza-like illness in adults includes parainfluenzavirus type 4

Hatice Hasman1,2, Constance T Pachucki3, Arife Unal4

  • 1Department of Immunology & Microbiology, College of Medicine, Rush University, 1653 W. Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

Journal of Medical Microbiology
|March 11, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Influenza A virus is common in adults, but other viruses like human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), including HPIV-4, also cause similar illnesses and are often missed by rapid tests.

Area of Science:

  • * Virology
  • * Infectious Diseases
  • * Public Health

Background:

  • * Influenza viruses cause significant winter morbidity and mortality in adults.
  • * Other respiratory viruses, such as human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), circulate concurrently and cause influenza-like illness (ILI).
  • * These non-influenza viruses are associated with adult morbidity, mortality, and nosocomial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To evaluate the prevalence of multiple respiratory viruses in adult patients presenting with ILI.
  • * To identify viruses co-circulating with influenza A virus (FLU-A) during two winter seasons.
  • * To assess the frequency of mixed viral respiratory infections and the role of HPIVs.

Main Methods:

  • * Analysis of 154 respiratory specimens from adult patients with ILI.
  • * Testing for ten different respiratory viruses using two nested multiplex RT-PCR assays.
  • * Evaluation of viral detection rates and co-infection patterns.

Main Results:

  • * A high detection rate of respiratory viruses (68%) in adult ILI cases.
  • * Influenza A virus (FLU-A) was the most common (50%), followed by HRSV-A (16%) and HPIV-4 (5.8%).
  • * Mixed infections occurred in 11% of samples, with HPIV infections being more likely to be part of a mixed infection.

Conclusions:

  • * ILI in adults and the elderly is frequently caused by viruses other than influenza, including HRSV and HPIVs.
  • * HPIV-4 is a notable cause of ILI and co-circulates with FLU-A.
  • * Mixed viral infections and HPIV-4 may be missed by rapid diagnostic tests, highlighting the need for more comprehensive diagnostic approaches.

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