Background: Globally, respiratory infections are the primary cause of illness in developing countries, specifically among children; however, an etiological agent for many of these illnesses is rarely identified.
Objectives: Our study aimed to estimate the frequency of human bocavirus (HBoV) infection among pediatric populations in Argentina, Nicaragua and Peru.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using stored samples of an influenza-like illness surveillance program. Irrespective of previous diagnosis, nasopharyngeal or nasal swab specimens were randomly selected and tested using real-time PCR from three sites during 2007 from patients younger than 6 years old.
Results: A total of 568 specimens from Argentina (185), Nicaragua (192) and Peru (191) were tested. The prevalence of HBoV was 10·8% (95% CI: 6·3; 15·3) in Argentina, 33·3% in Nicaragua (95% CI: 26·6; 40·1) and 25·1% in Peru (95% CI: 18·9; 31·3).
Conclusions: These findings demonstrate circulation of HBoV in Argentina, Nicaragua and Peru among children with influenza-like symptoms enrolled in a sentinel surveillance program.
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.