Article Text
Abstract
From 1 October 2009 to 1 December 2010, we conducted a prospective hospital-based study at KFSHRC to evaluate the role of Bocavirus (HBoV) infections in hospitalized children with chronic medical or immunocompromising conditions. Clinical and epidemiological data were recorded and respiratory samples including nasopharyngeal aspirate or nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from all children less than 14 years old with acute respiratory tract infections. HBoV was screened in all respiratory samples by real time PCR, in addition to 13 common respiratory viruses. During the study, HBoV was detected in respiratory samples from 25 (2%) of 1016 symptomatic patient. HBoV co-existence with other respiratory pathogens occurred in 72% (18/25) of respiratory samples from symptomatic patients. HBoV infections were detected in every month except June and July with peaks in the month of September, October, November, and December. The main diagnosis in 13 patients (52%) with HBoV was radiologically confirmed pneumonia. For the other 12 patients with HBoV infections the main diagnosis were gastroenteritis(4 cases), chest exacerbation (3 cases), upper respiratory tract infections (2 cases), persistent fever (1 case), seizure (1 case), otitis media (1 case). The main clinical signs and symptoms of HBoV positive patients included fever, cough tachypnea, dyspnea, crackles, wheezing, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. The present study suggest that HBoV may be a fairly common cause of pneumonia in high-risk children hospitalized with acute respiratory infections and associated with morbidity. However, further study is needed to clarify if HBoV plays a pathogenic role in community acquired pneumonia in high-risk children.