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Medicine May 2022Viruses are becoming more and more important as etiological agents of pneumonia, mainly due to improvements in diagnostic techniques. At present, they account for...
Viruses are becoming more and more important as etiological agents of pneumonia, mainly due to improvements in diagnostic techniques. At present, they account for approximately one-third of community-acquired pneumonia cases. They tend to occur in children and elderly patients, causing anything from mild cases to severe cases which require intubation and intensive care. The main causative agents include rhinovirus, influenza virus A or B, metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, coronavirus, or adenovirus. Infection produced by SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has had devastating consequences, is proof of the vital importance of viral pneumonia. This is the main subject of this update. Drawing on the abundant information available, which has been continuously evolving since the beginning of the pandemic, this section will review the main characteristics of the virus, its pathophysiology, and its clinical manifestations as well as the main diagnostic and treatment methods.
PubMed: 35582693
DOI: 10.1016/j.med.2022.05.003 -
Veterinary Sciences Jul 2022Climate change and anthropic activities are the two main factors explaining wild great ape habitat reduction and population decline. The extent to which human-borne... (Review)
Review
Climate change and anthropic activities are the two main factors explaining wild great ape habitat reduction and population decline. The extent to which human-borne infectious diseases are contributing to this trend is still poorly understood. This is due to insufficient or fragmented knowledge on the abundance and distribution of current wild great ape populations, the difficulty obtaining optimal biological samples for diagnostic testing, and the scarcity of pathogen typing data of sufficient quality. This review summarises current information on the most clinically relevant pathogens of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal nature for which transmission from humans to wild great apes is suspected. After appraising the robustness of available epidemiological and/or molecular typing evidence, we attempt to categorise each pathogen according to its likelihood of truly being of human origin. We further discuss those agents for which anthroponotic transmission is more likely. These include two viral (Human Metapneumovirus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus), one bacterial (diarrhoeagenic ), and two parasitic ( spp. and ) pathogens. Finally, we identify the main drawbacks impairing research on anthroponotic pathogen transmission in wild great apes and propose research lines that may contribute to bridging current knowledge gaps.
PubMed: 35878373
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9070356 -
The Journal of Infectious Diseases Jan 2024Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) epidemiology, clinical characteristics and risk factors for poor outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remain a...
BACKGROUND
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) epidemiology, clinical characteristics and risk factors for poor outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remain a poorly investigated area.
METHODS
This retrospective multicenter cohort study examined the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for poor outcomes associated with human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections in recipients of allo-HCT.
RESULTS
We included 428 allo-HCT recipients who developed 438 hMPV infection episodes between January 2012 and January 2019. Most recipients were adults (93%). hMPV infections were diagnosed at a median of 373 days after allo-HCT. The infections were categorized as upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) or lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), with 60% and 40% of cases, respectively. Patients with hMPV LRTD experienced the infection earlier in the transplant course and had higher rates of lymphopenia, neutropenia, corticosteroid use, and ribavirin therapy. Multivariate analysis identified lymphopenia and corticosteroid use (>30 mg/d) as independent risk factors for LRTD occurrence. The overall mortality at day 30 after hMPV detection was 2% for URTD, 12% for possible LRTD, and 21% for proven LRTD. Lymphopenia was the only independent risk factor associated with day 30 mortality in LRTD cases.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the significance of lymphopenia and corticosteroid use in the development and severity of hMPV infections after allo-HCT, with lymphopenia being a predictor of higher mortality in LRTD cases.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Metapneumovirus; Cohort Studies; Retrospective Studies; Respiratory Tract Infections; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Lymphopenia; Adrenal Cortex Hormones
PubMed: 37440459
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad268 -
Virus Genes Aug 2023Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a major pathogen of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. Whole genome sequence analyses could help understand the...
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a major pathogen of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. Whole genome sequence analyses could help understand the evolution and transmission events of this virus. In this study, we sequenced HMPV whole genomes to improve the identification of molecular epidemiology in Beijing, China. Nasopharyngeal aspirates of hospitalized children aged < 14 years old with ARTIs were screened for HMPV infection using qPCR. Fourteen pairs of overlapping primers were used to amplify whole genome sequences of HMPV from positive samples with high viral loads. The epidemiology of HMPV was analysed and 27 HMPV whole genome sequences were obtained. Sequence identity and the positional entropy analyses showed that most regions of HMPV genome are conserved, whereas the G gene contained many variations. Phylogenetic analysis identified 25 HMPV sequences that belonged to a newly defined subtype A2b1; G gene sequences from 24 of these contained a 111-nucleotide duplication. HMPV is an important respiratory pathogen in paediatric patients. The new subtype A2b1 with a 111-nucleotide duplication has become predominate in Beijing, China.
Topics: Whole Genome Sequencing; Metapneumovirus; Evolution, Molecular; Humans; Male; Female; Infant; Child, Preschool; Child; Adolescent; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Phylogeny
PubMed: 37150780
DOI: 10.1007/s11262-023-02001-2 -
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Oct 2023Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cause a high burden of disease, particularly in children and the elderly. With the aim to add...
Multicenter epidemiological investigation and genetic characterization of respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus infections in the pre-pandemic 2018-2019 season in northern and central Italy.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cause a high burden of disease, particularly in children and the elderly. With the aim to add knowledge on RSV and HMPV infections in Italy, a prospective, multicenter study was conducted by eight centers of the Working Group on Respiratory Virus Infections (GLIViRe), from December 2018-April 2019. Weekly distribution and patients' demographic and clinical data were compared in 1300 RSV and 222 HMPV-positive cases. Phylogenetic analysis of the G-glycoprotein coding region was performed to characterize circulating strains. RSV positivity ranged from 6.4% in outpatients of all ages to 31.7% in hospitalized children; HMPV positivity was 4-1.2% with no age-association. RSV season peaked in February and ended in mid-April: HMPV circulation was higher when RSV decreased in early spring. RSV was more frequent in infants, whereas HMPV infected comparatively more elderly adults; despite, their clinical course was similar. RSV-B cases were two-thirds of the total and had similar clinical severity compared to RSV-A. Phylogenetic analysis showed the circulation of RSV-A ON1 variants and the predominance of RSV-B genotype BA10. HMPV genotype A2c was the prevalent one and presented insertions of different lengths in G. This first multicenter Italian report on seasonality, age-specific distribution, and clinical presentation of RSV and HMPV demonstrated their substantial disease burden in young patients but also in the elderly. These data may provide the basis for a national respiratory virus surveillance network.
Topics: Infant; Child; Adult; Humans; Aged; Metapneumovirus; Seasons; Phylogeny; Prospective Studies; Pandemics; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human
PubMed: 36522554
DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00973-3 -
Indian Journal of Pediatrics Sep 2023
Topics: Infant; Humans; Metapneumovirus; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 37247182
DOI: 10.1007/s12098-023-04653-2 -
Viruses Mar 2022Metapneumoviruses, members of the family Pneumoviridae, have been identified in birds (avian metapneumoviruses; AMPV's) and humans (human metapneumoviruses; HMPV's).... (Review)
Review
Metapneumoviruses, members of the family Pneumoviridae, have been identified in birds (avian metapneumoviruses; AMPV's) and humans (human metapneumoviruses; HMPV's). AMPV and HMPV are closely related viruses with a similar genomic organization and cause respiratory tract illnesses in birds and humans, respectively. AMPV can be classified into four subgroups, A-D, and is the etiological agent of turkey rhinotracheitis and swollen head syndrome in chickens. Epidemiological studies have indicated that AMPV also circulates in wild bird species which may act as reservoir hosts for novel subtypes. HMPV was first discovered in 2001, but retrospective studies have shown that HMPV has been circulating in humans for at least 50 years. AMPV subgroup C is more closely related to HMPV than to any other AMPV subgroup, suggesting that HMPV has evolved from AMPV-C following zoonotic transfer. In this review, we present a historical perspective on the discovery of metapneumoviruses and discuss the host tropism, pathogenicity, and molecular characteristics of the different AMPV and HMPV subgroups to provide increased focus on the necessity to better understand the evolutionary pathways through which HMPV emerged as a seasonal endemic human respiratory virus.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Humans; Metapneumovirus; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Poultry Diseases; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35458407
DOI: 10.3390/v14040677 -
Viruses Dec 2021Pneumoviruses include pathogenic human and animal viruses, the most known and studied being the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and the metapneumovirus (hMPV),... (Review)
Review
Pneumoviruses include pathogenic human and animal viruses, the most known and studied being the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and the metapneumovirus (hMPV), which are the major cause of severe acute respiratory tract illness in young children worldwide, and main pathogens infecting elderly and immune-compromised people. The transcription and replication of these viruses take place in specific cytoplasmic inclusions called inclusion bodies (IBs). These activities depend on viral polymerase L, associated with its cofactor phosphoprotein P, for the recognition of the viral RNA genome encapsidated by the nucleoprotein N, forming the nucleocapsid (NC). The polymerase activities rely on diverse transient protein-protein interactions orchestrated by P playing the hub role. Among these interactions, P interacts with the NC to recruit L to the genome. The P protein also plays the role of chaperone to maintain the neosynthesized N monomeric and RNA-free (called N) before specific encapsidation of the viral genome and antigenome. This review aims at giving an overview of recent structural information obtained for hRSV and hMPV P, N, and more specifically for P-NC and N-P complexes that pave the way for the rational design of new antivirals against those viruses.
Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Drug Design; Humans; Metapneumovirus; Models, Molecular; Nucleocapsid Proteins; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Phosphoproteins; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; RNA, Viral; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Transcription, Genetic; Viral Proteins; Virus Replication
PubMed: 34960719
DOI: 10.3390/v13122449 -
International Journal of Infectious... Dec 2023This study aimed to determine the epidemiological and genetic features of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection in children in southern China, and the effect of...
Epidemiology, genetic characteristics, and association with meteorological factors of human metapneumovirus infection in children in southern China: A 10-year retrospective study.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to determine the epidemiological and genetic features of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection in children in southern China, and the effect of meteorological factors on infection.
METHODS
14,817 children (≤14 years) with acute respiratory tract infections from 2010 to 2019 were examined for HMPV and other respiratory viruses by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Full-length F gene of 54 positive samples were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The correlation between the HMPV-positive rate and meteorological factors was analyzed by linear regression analysis.
RESULTS
HMPV was detected in 524 (3.5%) children, who were mostly younger than 1 year. The seasonal peak of HMPV prevalence mainly occurred in spring. Respiratory syncytial virus was the most common virus coinfected with HMPV (5.3%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sequenced HMPV strains belonged to four sublineages, including A2b (1.9%), A2c (31.5%), B1 (50.0%), and B2 (16.7%). After adjusting for all meteorological factors, sunshine duration was inversely correlated with the HMPV-positive rate.
CONCLUSION
HMPV is an important respiratory pathogen that causes acute respiratory tract infections in children in southern China, particularly in children ≤5 years old. The prevalence peak of HMPV in this area appeared in spring, and the predominant subtype was B1. Meteorological factors, especially long sunshine duration, might decrease the HMPV prevalence.
Topics: Child; Humans; Infant; Child, Preschool; Metapneumovirus; Retrospective Studies; Molecular Epidemiology; Phylogeny; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Respiratory Tract Infections; China; Meteorological Concepts
PubMed: 37816430
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.10.002 -
International Journal of Infectious... Jul 2022To compare infection rates and circulating subtypes of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) before (2019-2020) and after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)...
OBJECTIVES
To compare infection rates and circulating subtypes of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) before (2019-2020) and after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (2021) in Israel.
METHODS
In total, 12,718 respiratory samples were collected from hospitalized patients of all ages during the years 2019 to 2021 at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. In addition, whole-genome sequencing was performed to characterize the subtypes of hMPV circulating in Israel between 2019 and 2021.
RESULTS
A total of 481 samples were found positive for hMPV. Before the emergence of COVID-19, hMPV peaked in winter months and declined thereafter. In sharp contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a delayed peak in hMPV infection cases and higher infection of young children. Viral sequencing showed a shift in the most prevalent circulating hMPV strain from A2b to B1 during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.
CONCLUSION
Compared with the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, hMPV mostly affected young children, and the most prevalent circulating subtype shifted from A2b in 2019 to B1.
Topics: COVID-19; Child; Child, Preschool; Genotype; Humans; Infant; Israel; Metapneumovirus; Pandemics; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Phylogeny; Prevalence; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 35472530
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.04.037