The clinical presentation and outcomes of children infected with newly identified respiratory tract viruses

Comparative Epidemiology of Human Fatal Infections with Novel, High (H5N6 and H5N1) and Low (H7N9 and H9N2) Pathogenicity Avian Influenza A Viruses

This study aimed to assess the mortality risks for human infection with high (HPAI) and low (LPAI) pathogenicity avian influenza viruses. The HPAI case fatality rate (CFR) was far higher than the LPAI CFR [66.0% (293/444) vs. 68.75% (11/16) vs. 40.4% (265/656) vs. 0.0% (0/18) in the cases with H5N1, H5N6, H7N9, and H9N2 viruses, respectively; p < 0.001]. Similarly, the CFR of the index cases was greater than the secondary cases with H5N1 [100% (43/43) vs. 43.3% (42/97), p < 0.001]. Old age [22.5 vs. 17 years for H5N1, p = 0.018; 61 vs. 49 years for H7H9, p < 0.001], concurrent diseases [18.8% (15/80) vs. 8.33% (9/108) for H5N1, p = 0.046; 58.6% (156/266) vs. 34.8% (135/388) for H7H9, p < 0.001], delayed confirmation [13 vs. 6 days for H5N1, p < 0.001; 10 vs. 8 days for H7N9, p = 0.011] in the fatalities and survivors, were risk factors for deaths. With regard to the H5N1 clusters, exposure to poultry [67.4% (29/43) vs. 45.2% (19/42), p = 0.039] was the higher risk for the primary than the secondary deaths. In conclusion, old age, comorbidities, delayed confirmation, along with poultry exposure are the major risks contributing to fatal outcomes in human HPAI and LPAI infections.

Comprehensive real-time epidemiological data from respiratory infections in Finland between 2010 and 2014 obtained from an automated and multianalyte mariPOC® respiratory pathogen test

Respiratory viruses cause seasonal epidemics every year. Several respiratory pathogens are circulating simultaneously and typical symptoms of different respiratory infections are alike, meaning it is challenging to identify and diagnose different respiratory pathogens based on symptoms alone. mariPOC® is an automated, multianalyte antigen test which allows the rapid detection of nine respiratory infection pathogens [influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza 1–3 viruses and pneumococci] from a single nasopharyngeal swab or aspirate samples, and, in addition, can be linked to laboratory information systems. During the study period from November 2010 to June 2014, a total of 22,485 multianalyte respi tests were performed in the 14 participating laboratories in Finland and, in total, 6897 positive analyte results were recorded. Of the tested samples, 25 % were positive for one respiratory pathogen, with RSV (9.8 %) and influenza A virus (7.2 %) being the most common findings, and 0.65 % of the samples were multivirus-positive. Only small geographical variations in seasonal epidemics occurred. Our results show that the mariPOC® multianalyte respi test allows simultaneous detection of several respiratory pathogens in real time. The results are reliable and give the clinician a picture of the current epidemiological situation, thus minimising guesswork.

Update on the 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 in children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an updated review of the epidemiology, clinical presentations, and outcomes of the 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 in children.

RECENT FINDINGS

The majority of cases of 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 in children have been mild. However, neurological complications, hospitalization, and even deaths have been reported in children. Death and severe illnesses have mostly occurred in children below 5 years of age and children with high-risk conditions. Coinfections with bacteria have also been reported. Most strains are sensitive to oseltamivir and all to zanamivir.

SUMMARY

Even though the majority of cases of 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 are mild, severe disease does occur in children. In addition, neurological complications and coinfection with bacteria exist. Treatment with antiviral medications should be initiated within 48 h to be most effective. When pandemic H1N1 vaccines become available, the safety and efficacy of these vaccines in this vulnerable population will be important to document.

Human bocavirus: passenger or pathogen in acute respiratory tract infections?

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified virus tentatively assigned to the family Parvoviridae, subfamily Parvovirinae, genus Bocavirus. HBoV was first described in 2005 and has since been detected in respiratory tract secretions worldwide. Herein we review the literature on HBoV and discuss the biology and potential clinical impact of this virus. Most studies have been PCR based and performed on patients with acute respiratory symptoms, from whom HBoV was detected in 2 to 19% of the samples. HBoV-positive samples have been derived mainly from infants and young children. HBoV DNA has also been detected in the blood of patients with respiratory tract infection and in fecal samples of patients with diarrhea with or without concomitant respiratory symptoms. A characteristic feature of HBoV studies is the high frequency of coinciding detections, or codetections, with other viruses. Available data nevertheless indicate a statistical association between HBoV and acute respiratory tract disease. We present a model incorporating these somewhat contradictory findings and suggest that primary HBoV infection causes respiratory tract symptoms which can be followed by prolonged low-level virus shedding in the respiratory tract. Detection of the virus in this phase will be facilitated by other infections, either simply via increased sample cell count or via reactivation of HBoV, leading to an increased detection frequency of HBoV during other virus infections. We conclude that the majority of available HBoV studies are limited by the sole use of PCR diagnostics on respiratory tract secretions, addressing virus prevalence but not disease association. The ability to detect primary infection through the development of improved diagnostic methods will be of great importance for future studies seeking to assign a role for HBoV in causing respiratory illnesses.