Human Bocavirus Infection in Children.

THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF 16 DIFFERENT RESPIRAtory viruses, including human bocavirus, was tested by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (16 viruses), virus culture (9 viruses), and antigen detection (7 viruses) of nasopharyngeal aspirates and also acute- and convalescent-phase serologies (7 viruses) from 259 children (range, 3 months to 15 years; median age, 1.6 years) hospitalized for acute wheezing. In addition, human bocavirus was investigated in 64 hospitalized children (rage 5 months to 14 years; median age 4.1 years) who were asymptomatic for wheezing. At least one viral agent was detected in 95% of children, with >1 agent detected in 34% of children. Pathogens were identified by PCR in 95% of children, virus culture in 40%, antigen detection in 28%, and serologies in 28%. Diagnosis was based on serologies in only 3% of children. Rhinoviruses (73 children, 28%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (72 children, 28%), enteroviruses (69 children, 27%), nontypable rhinoviruses/ enteroviruses (31 children, 12%) and human bocavirus (49 children, 19%) were the most common agents identified. Pathogens were identified in 95% of children, with one virus in 60% and ≥ 2 viruses in 34%. Human bocavirus was detected in 49 children (19%), usually as part of a mixed infection with another agent, most commonly rhinoviruses (14 children), enteroviruses (8 children), and RSV (7 children). An association with acute wheezing in children was suggested by finding human bocavirus more frequently among children with acute wheezing than among asymptomatic children (19% vs 0%; P < 0.001), the highest bocavirus loads primarily in the absence of other viral agents, and higher detection of human bocavirus DNA in acute serum samples, indicating systemic infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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