Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Modeling Dysplastic and Functional Lung Alveolar Repair after Influenza Infection
07:45

Modeling Dysplastic and Functional Lung Alveolar Repair after Influenza Infection

Published on: September 19, 2025

Increase human metapneumovirus mediated morbidity following pandemic influenza infection

Liora Regev1, Tal Meningher, Musa Hindiyeh

  • 1Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

Plos One
|April 13, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) caused more infections in Israeli infants during the 2009-10 winter. This rise followed pandemic influenza, suggesting interference between the viruses.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a respiratory pathogen primarily affecting young children, causing influenza-like symptoms (ILS).
  • In Israel, hMPV typically circulates between February and March.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate an observed increase in hMPV infections during the 2009-10 winter season in Israel.
  • To characterize the genetic subtypes of hMPV circulating during this period.
  • To explore potential interactions between hMPV and pandemic influenza virus.

Main Methods:

  • Epidemiological surveillance of hMPV infections.
  • Genetic analysis of hMPV L and F genes.
  • Correlation analysis with pandemic influenza virus circulation data.

Main Results:

  • An elevated rate of hMPV infection occurred in the 2009-10 winter, starting in January and affecting a large number of infants.
  • Circulating hMPV subtypes were A2 and B2, with a novel variant A2b1/A2b2 identified.
  • hMPV surge followed the decline of pandemic influenza, which appeared dominant and interfered with other respiratory viruses.

Conclusions:

  • The increased hMPV infections in 2009-10 may be linked to the preceding pandemic influenza season.
  • Pandemic influenza virus dominance potentially created an opportunity for increased hMPV circulation.
  • Further research is needed to understand virus-virus interactions in respiratory infections.

More Related Videos

Using Zebrafish Models of Human Influenza A Virus Infections to Screen Antiviral Drugs and Characterize Host Immune Cell Responses09:07

Using Zebrafish Models of Human Influenza A Virus Infections to Screen Antiviral Drugs and Characterize Host Immune Cell Responses

Published on: January 20, 2017

A Precise Pathogen Delivery and Recovery System for Murine Models of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia13:45

A Precise Pathogen Delivery and Recovery System for Murine Models of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia

Published on: September 21, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Vaccinations01:51

Vaccinations

Overview
Influenza01:27

Influenza

Influenza is an acute, highly communicable viral disease that affects the respiratory tract and is responsible for seasonal epidemics worldwide. Influenza A is the most prevalent type associated with widespread outbreaks and is subtyped based on two surface glycoproteins: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), as in H1N1. These glycoproteins are essential for viral infectivity, transmission, and immune recognition. Transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets and contaminated...
Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention01:30

Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention

Nursing management of pneumonia involves promoting airway patency, facilitating rest and conserving energy, encouraging fluid intake, maintaining nutrition, and educating patients.
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed.
Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence01:28

Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence

Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable temporal or...
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Atypical Pneumonia01:14

Atypical Pneumonia

Atypical pneumonia, often caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, is a form of pulmonary infection that differs from the classical presentation of bacterial pneumonia in both its cause and clinical symptoms. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pleomorphic bacterium notable for its lack of a rigid cell wall. This structural characteristic imparts resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and significantly influences the bacterium’s behavior within the human host.Other pathogens responsible for the disease include...