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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2003, p. 2987-2991, Vol. 41, No. 7
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.7.2987-2991.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Human Metapneumovirus Associated with Respiratory Tract Infections in a 3-Year Study of Nasal Swabs from Infants in Italy

Fabrizio Maggi,1 Massimo Pifferi,2 Marialinda Vatteroni,1 Claudia Fornai,1 Elena Tempestini,1 Silvia Anzilotti,1 Letizia Lanini,1 Elisabetta Andreoli,1 Vincenzo Ragazzo,2 Mauro Pistello,1 Steven Specter,1,{dagger} and Mauro Bendinelli1*

Virology Section and Retrovirus Center, Department of Experimental Pathology,1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy2

Received 31 October 2002/ Returned for modification 17 February 2003/ Accepted 13 April 2003

The newly described human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is reported here to be more commonly associated with lower respiratory tract disease. The present study examined nasal swab specimens from 90 infants with acute respiratory tract infections in Pisa, Italy, over a period of three respiratory virus seasons. The incidence of infection varied in each of the 3 years, with the rates of positivity for hMPV being 7% in 2001 but 37 and 43% in 2000 and 2002, respectively. hMPV was noted to occur seasonally in a pattern typical of the frequency of occurrence of respiratory syncytial virus. More than one-half (14 of 23) of the infants infected with hMPV had bronchopneumonia. One-third (9 of 23) of the hMPV-infected patients were also infected with another respiratory virus, a relationship that has not previously been reported. Mixed infections did not account for a higher percentage of cases of bronchopneumonia than hMPV infection alone did. Furthermore, 7 of 17 infants whose plasma was also tested for hMPV RNA were demonstrated to have virus in both nasal swab and blood specimens. The study indicates that hMPV is seen as commonly as other respiratory viruses, may be associated with severe respiratory disease in infants, can establish mixed infections with other respiratory viruses, and has a seasonal occurrence.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Virology Section and Retrovirus Center, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, via San Zeno 37, I-56127 Pisa, Italy. Phone: 39 050 2213641. Fax: 39 050 2213639. E-mail: bendinelli{at}biomed.unipi.it.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Fla.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2003, p. 2987-2991, Vol. 41, No. 7
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.7.2987-2991.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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