Acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to human metapneumovirus infection in a young healthy adult

Abstract

Dear Editor, There is growing interest in human metapneumovirus (hMPV) lung infection in intensive care unit (ICU). hMPV is a respiratory pathogen first discovered 10 years ago [1], but despite increasing data, the complete epidemiological features of hMPV remain largely unknown. In your journal, Vanspauwen et al. [2] reported six cases of hMPV detection in critically ill patients suspected of having hospital-acquired pneumonia. Recently, a case of severe hMPV lung infection in a pregnant woman was reported [3], and hMPV was identified in 18 % of patients hospitalized for severe pneumonia in ICU [4]. It is generally known that adults with underlying cardiopulmonary disease or immunocompromised patients are susceptible to hMPV infection [5]. However, we report a case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to hMPV in a healthy woman. A 59-year-old woman without relevant medical history was admitted to the ICU for acute dyspnea. Vital signs on admission were: heart rate 96/min, blood pressure 105/73 mmHg, Glasgow Coma Scale 15, tympanic temperature 40 C, respiratory rate 40/min, and oxygen saturation 83 % on room air. Physical examination revealed bilateral crackles and right bronchial breath sounds. Blood gases were pH 7.60, PaCO2 23 mmHg, PaO2 43 mmHg, and HCO3 -