Detecção de metapneumovírus humano em crianças portadoras de infecções respiratórias agudas atendidas em um hospital de urgência e emergência em Belém, Estado do Pará, Brasil

Orlando da Gama Rodrigues; Werther Brunow de Carvalho

doi:10.5123/S2176-62232015000400004

Authors

Orlando da Gama Rodrigues Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil
Werther Brunow de Carvalho Universidade do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5123/S2176-62232015000400004

Keywords:

Metapneumovirus, Respiratory Tract Infections, Child Health

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Performing clinical and human metapneumovirus detection (hMPV) of children under 5 years old suffering from acute respiratory infections (ARI), with free demand or referenced to an emergency care hospital in Belém, Pará State, Brazil.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study (from March 2008 to February 2009) evaluated 67 samples of nasopharyngeal secretions of 67 patients with ARI - 29.9% with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and 70.1% with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and URTI - by using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay.
RESULTS: In the cohort of n = 67 children studied, 13 positive cases were detected (19.4%) for hMPV. There was a higher percentage of samples (61.5%) in those with URTI associated with LRTI, compared to those with URTI (38.5%).
CONCLUSION: It was observed that hMPV is a prevalent etiological agent in 19.4% of children with ARI, however the clinical symptoms evaluated do not occur exclusively in association with hMPV.