Human metapneumovirus a major cause of pneumonia in China

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) plays a significant role in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia in China, new research shows
In a study published in the Journal of Medical Virology, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing have shown that the detection rate of hMPV ranked third in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
They also found that similar clinical manifestations were observed between hMPV-positive and RSV-positive patients.
Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected  from 1,028 children who were diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia in Beijing, China. hMPV was detected in 6.3% of the patients with community-acquired pneumonia. This detection rate is the third highest for a respiratory virus in children with community-acquired pneumonia, after that of rhinovirus (31%) and respiratory syncytial virus (31%). "These findings indicate that human metapneumovirus (hMPV) plays a significant role in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia in China," they conclude

Read more: Journal of Medical Virology