Human Bocavirus in Korean Children with Gastroenteritis and Respiratory Tract Infections

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Human bocaviruses (HBoVs) are implicated in childhood respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.
• Four genotypes exist: HBoV-1 primarily causes respiratory infections, while HBoV2-4 are linked to gastrointestinal issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distribution of HBoV genotypes in children with respiratory or gastrointestinal infections in a Korean hospital.
• To identify the predominant HBoV genotype associated with these infections in the study population.

Main Methods:

• Collected 662 nasopharyngeal swabs and 155 fecal specimens from children aged 5 years or less.
• Used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the HBoV NS1 gene, followed by VP1 gene amplification and sequence analysis for genotyping.

Main Results:

• HBoV was detected in 14.5% of respiratory samples and 6.5% of fecal samples.
• Genotyping of 38 positive isolates revealed all were identified as the HBoV-1 genotype.
• HBoV-1 was the most prevalent genotype found in both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

Conclusions:

• Human bocavirus genotype 1 (HBoV-1) is the predominant genotype causing both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in children in this Korean hospital.
• These findings highlight the significant role of HBoV-1 in pediatric infections, irrespective of the infection site.