Viral Loads of Pneumoviruses: Correlation With Coinfection Rates and Disease Severity

J Med Virol. 2024 Nov;96(11):e70054. doi: 10.1002/jmv.70054.

Abstract

We looked at the interactions between viral loads, coinfection rates and disease severity for children infected with two pneumoviruses: human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The HMPV RNA load in nasopharyngeal swabs of hospitalized children was significantly higher in mono-infections compared to coinfections but this was not the case for RSV, which could be explained by different innate immune responses. Also, the viral load of neither of the two viruses was associated with disease severity although RSV-infected children had higher severity scores than HMPV-infected children.

Keywords: HMPV; RSV; coinfection; interference; severity; viral load.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Coinfection* / epidemiology
  • Coinfection* / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Metapneumovirus* / genetics
  • Metapneumovirus* / isolation & purification
  • Nasopharynx* / virology
  • Paramyxoviridae Infections* / epidemiology
  • Paramyxoviridae Infections* / virology
  • Pneumovirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Pneumovirus Infections / virology
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections* / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections* / virology
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / genetics
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / isolation & purification
  • Severity of Illness Index*
  • Viral Load*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral