Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
J Med Virol. 2011 Oct;83(10):1811-7. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22193.
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has been recognized as an important cause of respiratory tract infections in all age groups and in all geographical area. The role of hMPV in causing respiratory tract infections in Kuwait was not yet investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hMPV infection in Kuwait among patients with respiratory tract infection with respect to other respiratory viruses. During January-December 2009, 460 respiratory samples from 388 patients with respiratory tract infection were collected from different hospitals. They were tested for hMPV RNA by real-time PCR, and for other respiratory viruses by conventional PCR. Out of 388 patients, 110 (28%) were positive for viral respiratory infections; 21 (5.4%) were positive for hMPV, 29 (7.5%) were positive for rhinovirus, 13 (4%) were positive for respiratory syncytial virus, and 10 (3%) were positive for adenovirus. Most (n = 19, 90.5%) of hMPV-positive patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, 76% of them were of age 2 years and below, and 24% of age 59 years and above. All hMPV-positive elderly patients had pneumonia while 50% of hMPV-positive infants had bronchopneumonia. Children with hMPV/rhinovirus co-infection (n = 3, 1%) had recurrent chest infection and frequent intensive care unit admission. The hMPV infection was mostly detected between December and May, and genotype B was more prevalent than genotype A. This is the first study demonstrating the prevalence of hMPV infection in Kuwait, and suggests that hMPV infection is prevalent in infants and elderly patients with lower respiratory tract infection.
人偏肺病毒（hMPV）已被确认为所有年龄组和所有地理区域呼吸道感染的重要原因。hMPV 在科威特引起呼吸道感染的作用尚未得到研究。本研究旨在确定 hMPV 感染在科威特呼吸道感染患者中的流行情况，并与其他呼吸道病毒进行比较。2009 年 1 月至 12 月，从不同医院采集了 388 例呼吸道感染患者的 460 份呼吸道样本。采用实时 PCR 检测 hMPV RNA，采用常规 PCR 检测其他呼吸道病毒。在 388 例患者中，110 例（28%）为病毒性呼吸道感染阳性；21 例（5.4%）为 hMPV 阳性，29 例（7.5%）为鼻病毒阳性，13 例（4%）为呼吸道合胞病毒阳性，10 例（3%）为腺病毒阳性。大多数（n=19，90.5%）hMPV 阳性患者入住重症监护病房，76%的患者年龄在 2 岁及以下，24%的患者年龄在 59 岁及以上。所有 hMPV 阳性老年患者均患有肺炎，而 50%的 hMPV 阳性婴儿患有支气管肺炎。hMPV/鼻病毒合并感染的儿童（n=3，1%）反复出现胸部感染且经常入住重症监护病房。hMPV 感染主要发生在 12 月至 5 月之间，B 基因型比 A 基因型更为流行。这是首次在科威特进行的 hMPV 感染流行情况研究，表明 hMPV 感染在婴幼儿和老年下呼吸道感染患者中较为普遍。
