Characterization of human metapneumoviruses isolated from patients in North America

J Infect Dis. 2002 Jun 1;185(11):1660-3. doi: 10.1086/340518. Epub 2002 May 3.

Abstract

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) was recently identified in The Netherlands and was linked to acute respiratory tract illness. In this study, 11 isolates from 10 patients with respiratory disease from Quebec, Canada, were tested by a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction based on the fusion protein gene. Identified sequences were consistent with HMPV. The patients were 2 months to 87 years of age (median age, 58 years) and presented with acute respiratory tract illness during the winter season. Sequence studies of the nucleocapsid, fusion, and polymerase genes identified 2 main lineages of HMPV and cocirculation of both lineages during the same year. These findings support a previous finding that HMPV is a human respiratory pathogen that merits further study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Metapneumovirus / classification*
  • Metapneumovirus / genetics
  • Metapneumovirus / isolation & purification*
  • Metapneumovirus / ultrastructure
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Paramyxoviridae Infections / virology*
  • Phylogeny
  • Quebec
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Viral Fusion Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Viral Fusion Proteins