J Korean Med Sci.  2010 Mar;25(3):342-347. 10.3346/jkms.2010.25.3.342.

Clinical and Epidemiological Comparison of Human Metapneumovirus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Seoul, Korea, 2003-2008

• Kim CK
• Choi J
• Callaway Z
• Kim HB
• Chung JY
• Koh YY
• Shin BM

• KMID: 1778026
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2010.25.3.342

Abstract

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) shares clinical and epidemiological characteristics with well-known respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and epidemiological differences between HMPV- and RSV-induced wheezing illnesses. A total of 1,008 nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens was collected from 1,008 pediatric patients hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection at Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital from December 2003 to April 2008, and tested for seven common respiratory viruses. Conditions classified as wheezing illness were bronchiolitis, reactive airways disease, and bronchial asthma. HMPV caused a significantly lower proportion of wheezing illness when compared to RSV (48.1% vs. 82.2%, P<0.05). HMPV-induced wheezing illness occurred predominantly in older patients when compared to RSV patients (P<0.001). RSV infections peaked in the fall and winter followed by peaks of HMPV infection in winter and spring. Eosinophil counts were significantly higher (P<0.01) in RSV patients when compared to HMPV patients. These results show that human metapneumovirus patients exhibit several different clinical and epidemiological characteristics, such as higher proportion of wheezing illness, age and seasonal incidence, and eosinophil counts, when compared to RSV patients.

Keyword

Metapneumovirus; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; Respiratory Sounds; Child; Seasonal Distribution

MeSH Terms

Bronchiolitis/physiopathology/virology
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Infant
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Metapneumovirus/pathogenicity
Nasopharynx/virology
Paramyxoviridae Infections/*epidemiology/*physiopathology/virology
Respiratory Sounds/*physiopathology
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections/*epidemiology/*physiopathology/virology
Respiratory Syncytial Viruses/pathogenicity
Retrospective Studies
Seasons

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Seasonal incidence of HMPV and RSV infection was plotted from December 2003 to April 2008. The Y-axis represents the proportion of the total number of patients with a wheezing illness positive for that respiratory virus. *proportion of all virus-positive samples.

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