Human Adenovirus Research Articles

Enteric and non-enteric adenoviruses in children with acute gastroenteritis in Western India.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are the viral agents responsible for a wide spectrum of acute and chronic diseases. HAdVs are the most important etiological agents of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and are identified as the major contributor to the deaths of diarrheal children globally. The significant rise in HAdV infections in rotavirus-vaccinated children documented in multiple studies demands continuous monitoring of HAdV strains. After the inclusion of rotavirus vaccines in the immunization schedule of India, public health research regarding prevalence, etiology, and risk factors is highly necessary for evidence-based policies and their implementation to sustain diarrhea prevention programs. In the present study, children admitted for AGE between 2013 and 2016 in seven different hospitals in Maharashtra and Gujrat states of Western India were subjected for investigation. HAdVs were found in 5.2% of the fecal specimens with the dominance of species-F (52.4%) strains, followed by the occurrence of non-enteric adenoviruses of species A (17.4%), C (11.4%), B (8.2%), and D (3.2%). The species-F strains were predominant in Ahmadabad (78.5%), Mumbai (61.5%), and Surat (57.1%) cities, followed by species-A strains. In Pune city, species B strains were detected in all HAdV patients, with none of the species A strains. Clinically, patients infected with enteric and non-enteric HAdV strains were indistinguishable. However, a high viral load was observed in species-F specimens as compared to non-species-F. The present study on fecal specimens collected in the pre-rotavirus vaccination era from hospitalized AGE patients will be important for future comparative analysis to know the exact impact of vaccination in children of Western India.

Detection of Hepatitis A RNA, Hepatitis E RNA, Human Adenovirus F DNA, and Norovirus RNA in Fresh and Frozen Berry Products at Point of Retail in Ireland.

Soft fruits are at particular risk of contamination with enteric viruses such as Hepatitis A virus (HAV), Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), Norovirus (NoV), Human Adenovirus (HAdV) and Sapovirus (SaV). The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the presence of these biological agents in ready to eat (RTE) berries at point of retail in Ireland. A sampling strategy was designed in which RTE fresh and frozen strawberries and raspberries were purchased from five retailers between May and October 2018. Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for HEV RNA, Nov RNA, SaV RNA, and human Adenovirus species F DNA (HAdV-F) were performed on 239 samples (25g portions). Viral nucleic acid was present in 6.7% (n = 16) of samples tested as follows: HAV RNA (n = 5), HAdV-F DNA (n = 5), HEV RNA (n = 3) and NoV GII RNA (n = 3). Sapovirus RNA was not detected in any product. No significant differences were found between berry type, fresh/frozen status, or supermarket source. This study suggests a risk that exists across all retail outlets however only low levels of nucleic acid ranging from 0 to 16 genome copies/g were present. Although these findings may reflect non-viable/non-infectious virus the continued provision of risk mitigation advice to consumers is warranted and further work is required to ensure control measures to reduce contamination are implemented and enforced.

Abnormal liver function in children hospitalized with acute respiratory infection of adenoviruses: a retrospective study.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) can cause acute hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. However, it is unclear whether HAdVs are contributors to hepatitis in immunocompetent children. In this study, the liver function test (LFT) results were retrospectively analyzed among children hospitalized (age < 14 years) between January 2016 and October 2019 for acute respiratory infection caused by adenoviruses. Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were elevated in 7.74% and 46.89% of patients, respectively. All patients with > 2 folds of the upper limit of ALT or AST levels were infected with HAdV-7 or HAdV-55. Significantly higher levels of ALT, AST, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), and lower albumin levels were observed in the HAdV-7 infection group than in the HAdV-3 infection group. HAdV-55 infection led to significantly higher γ-GT, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels than the other infection types. The records of four patients with serial monitoring of the LFT results were further analyzed. Multiple indicators remained abnormal during the entirehospitalization in these patients. These results indicate that HAdV infection is often accompanied by abnormal liver function, and HAdV-7 and HAdV-55 might be under-recognized contributors to hepatitis among children.

Presence of human adenovirus 36 in visceral fat tissue, viral load, and analysis of its genetic variability.

It has been proposed that infection by adipogenic viruses constitutes a "low risk" factor for obesity. Here, we report the presence of adenovirus 36 (Ad36) and its viral load copy number in fat tissue of participants with obesity and normal weight; phylogenetic analysis was performed to describe their relationship and genetic variability among viral haplotypes. Adipose tissue obtained from 105 adult patients with obesity (cases) and 26 normal-weight adult participants as controls were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) amplifying the partial Ad36 E1a gene. The amplicons were examined by melting curves and submitted to sequencing. Then, genetic diversity and phylogenetic inferences were performed. Ad36 was identified at rates of 82% and 46% in the case and control groups, respectively (p = 1.1 × 10-4 , odds ratio = 5.28); viral load copies were also significantly different between both groups, being 25% higher in the case group. Melting curve analysis showed clear amplification among positive samples. Phylogenetic inferences and genetic diversity analyses showed that the Ad36 E1a gene exhibits low genetic variability and differentiation with strong gene flow due to an expanding process. Our results suggest that the phenomenon of infectobesity by Ad36 might not be a low-risk factor, as has been previously argued by other authors.

Abnormal liver function in children hospitalized with acute respiratory infection of adenoviruses: a retrospective study

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) can cause acute hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. However, it is unclear whether HAdVs are contributors to hepatitis in immunocompetent children. In this study, the liver function test (LFT) results were retrospectively analyzed among children hospitalized (age <14 years) between January 2016 and October 2019 for acute respiratory infection caused by adenoviruses. Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were elevated in 7.74% and 46.89% of patients, respectively. All patients with >2 folds of the upper limit of ALT or AST levels were infected with HAdV-7 or HAdV-55. Significantly higher levels of ALT, AST, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), and lower albumin levels were observed in the HAdV-7 infection group than in the HAdV-3 infection group. HAdV-55 infection led to significantly higher γ-GT, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels than the other infection types. The records of four patients with serial monitoring of the LFT results were further analyzed. Multiple indicators remained abnormal during the entire hospitalization in these patients. These results indicate that HAdV infection is often accompanied by abnormal liver function, and HAdV-7 and HAdV-55 might be under-recognized contributors to hepatitis among children.

Pathogenesis diagnosis of a pediatric patient suffering from multi-organ abscesses

A pediatric patient suffered from renal and hepatic abscesses (through hepatorenal space) and recovered by antibiotics and other therapies. By clinical analysis, the multi-organ abscesses might be caused by bloodstream-disseminated infection. In order to identify the pathogen, we collected kidney biopsy tissue, swabs, and plasma samples, and used metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and some traditional methods. The results revealed that polymicrobial especially anaerobic bacteremia (Bacteroides fragilis, et al.) contributed to the abscess formation. What is more, systematic human adenovirus C (HAdV-C) infection was shown, and the virus was isolated. The titer of HAdV-2 neutralizing antibodies was 1/4 in the plasma after symptoms onset. Although the exact mechanism of HAdV-2 infection in multiple abscess formation has not been clarified, the case of multi-organ abscesses in the context of polymicrobial especially anaerobic bacteremia and HAdV infection in healthy children is infrequent.

Detection of enteric viruses and SARS-CoV-2 in beach sand

Beach sand harbors a diverse group of microbial organisms that may be of public health concern. Nonetheless, little is known about the presence and distribution of viruses in beach sand. In this study, the first objective was to evaluate the presence of seven viruses (Aichi virus, enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, human adenovirus, norovirus, rotavirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) in sands collected at public beaches. The second objective was to assess the spatial distribution of enteric viruses in beach sand. To that end, 27 beach sand samples from different beaches in Portugal were collected between November 2018 and August 2020 and analyzed for the presence of viruses. At seven beaches, samples were collected in the supratidal and intertidal zones. Results show that viruses were detected in 89 % (24/27) of the sand samples. Aichi virus was the most prevalent (74 %). Noroviruses were present in 19 % of the samples (norovirus GI – 15 %, norovirus GII – 4 %). Human adenovirus and enterovirus were detected in 48 % and 22 % of the samples, respectively. Hepatitis A virus and rotavirus were not detected. Similarly, SARS-CoV-2 in beach sand collected during the initial stages of the pandemic was also not detected. The detection of three or more viruses occurred in 15 % of the samples. Concentrations of viruses were as high as 7.2 log copies (cp)/g of sand. Enteric viruses were found in higher prevalence in sand collected from the supratidal zone compared to the intertidal zone. Human adenovirus was detected in 43 % of the supratidal and 14 % in the intertidal samples and Aichi virus in 57 % and 86 % of the intertidal and supratidal areas, respectively. Our findings suggest that beach sand can be a reservoir of enteric viruses, suggesting that it might be a vehicle for disease transmission, particularly for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised users.

Etiological Study of Acute Conjunctivitis Caused by Human Adenovirus in Shanxi Province, China, between 2016 and 2019.

Human adenovirus (HAdV) is the primary cause of acute conjunctivitis. To improve our understanding of the etiology of adenoviral conjunctivitis, ocular samples were collected from 160 conjunctivitis cases in the Shanxi province of northern China between 2016 and 2019. Through preliminary identification, virus isolation, and type identification, a total of 63 HAdV isolates were obtained from the samples. Three species and seven types (HAdV-3, HAdV-4, HAdV-8, HAdV-37, HAdV-53, HAdV-64, and HAdV-85) were detected, with HAdV-64, HAdV-3, and HAdV-8 being the predominant types in 2016, 2018, and 2019, respectively. Further phylogenetic analysis indicated the relative genomic stability of seven HAdV-type strains, except for 4 HAdV-3 strains in 2018 with a novel amino acid insertion site (Pro) between P19 and S20 in the penton base gene. It is worth noting that the genomes of two Shanxi HAdV-85 strains from 2016 were almost identical to those of previously reported HAdV-85 strains that circulated in Japan in 2014 to 2018. China was the second country to sample and isolate HAdV-85, suggesting that HAdV-85 might be underreported as an ocular pathogen. Data obtained in this study provide valuable information on the prevalence of acute conjunctivitis caused by HAdV. IMPORTANCE HAdV types in cases of conjunctivitis in Shanxi province, China, in 2016 to 2019 showed evident diversity, with seven types (HAdV-3, HAdV-4, HAdV-8, HAdV-37, HAdV-53, HAdV-64, and HAdV-85) being identified, and relative genome stability of these viruses was observed. In addition, China was the second country to sample and isolate HAdV-85, which suggests that HAdV-85 might be underreported as an important pathogen associated with ocular infections. These results enhance the understanding of the etiology of adenoviral conjunctivitis and may aid in the development of prevention and control strategies for HAdV-related ocular infections in China.

Antiviral Potential of Specially Selected Bulgarian Propolis Extracts: In Vitro Activity against Structurally Different Viruses.

Propolis is a natural mixture of resins, wax, and pollen from plant buds and flowers, enriched with enzymes and bee saliva. It also contains various essential oils, vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements, hormones, and ferments. It has been found that propolis possesses antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. We have studied the antiviral activity of six extracts of Bulgarian propolis collected from six districts of Bulgaria. The study was conducted against structurally different viruses: human coronavirus strain OC-43 (HCoV OC-43) and human respiratory syncytial virus type 2 (HRSV-2) (enveloped RNA viruses), human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) (enveloped DNA virus), human rhinovirus type 14 (HRV-14) (non-enveloped RNA virus) and human adenovirus type 5 (HadV-5) (non-enveloped DNA virus). The influence of the extracts on the internal replicative cycle of viruses was determined using the cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition test. The virucidal activity, its impact on the stage of viral adsorption to the host cell, and its protective effect on healthy cells were evaluated using the final dilution method, making them the focal points of interest. The change in viral infectivity under the action of propolis extracts was compared with untreated controls, and Δlgs were determined. Most propolis samples administered during the viral replicative cycle demonstrated the strongest activity against HCoV OC-43 replication. The influence of propolis extracts on the viability of extracellular virions was expressed to a different degree in the various viruses studied, and the effect was significantly stronger in those with an envelope. Almost all extracts significantly inhibited the adsorption step of the herpes virus and, to a less extent, of the coronavirus to the host cell, and some of them applied before viral infection demonstrated a protective effect on healthy cells. Our results enlarge the knowledge about the action of propolis and could open new perspectives for its application in viral infection treatment.

Metabolic bioprofiling of different Glycyrrhiza glabra solvent fractions for the identification of anti-adenoviral compounds using LC-HRMS/MS and in-vitro cytopathic assay coupled with chemometry

Human adenovirus type-7 (HAdV-7) is a common pathogen that may cause significant morbidity as well as severe complications. Currently, there is no approved drug for the treatment of HAdV-7 infections and the contemporary strategy mainly rely on nonspecific antivirals. Glycyrrhiza glabra; (licorice), is a well-recognized edible plant used in food and beverages. The plant is renowned for its pharmacological and biological activities including antiviral activities against wide range of viruses. The following study reported for the first time the anti-adenoviral activity of licorice extract using in-vitro cytopathic inhibitory assay. Different solvent fractions showed promising activity with IC50 reaching 1.431 μg/ml. Certain fractions had selectivity index (SI) greater than 10 indicating their efficacy together with relatively low cytotoxic effect. Metabolic profiling using LC-HRMS/MS resulted in identification of 41 compounds from licorice fractions. Chemometric modeling using Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures (OPLS) suggested the compounds; kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, violanthin, rhamnoliquiritin, isoliquiritigenin isomer, licoagroside B and liquiritin apioside as potential markers against (HAdV-7). Finally, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside was further confirmed via in-vitro adenovirus inhibitory assay to possess strong antiviral activity with IC50 and CC50 of 54.7 ± 1.93 μM and 655.7 ± 2.22 μM, respectively.

Acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children: analysis of probable etiologies

Background. An outbreak of hepatitis of unknown origin in children aged 1 month — 16 years was first reported by the WHO in April 2022. It was accompanied by a high frequency of acute liver failure, and up to 5 % of children required liver transplantation. The purpose of the review was to determine probable etiological factors and mechanisms of acute hepatitis of unknown origin based on a systematic analysis of literary sources. Materials and methods. We conducted a search for studies on cases or case series of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in the PubMed between January 2022 and February 2023. A combination of the following terms was used for the search: “unknown hepatitis”, “hepatitis of unknown origin”, “non-A-E hepatitis”, “hepatitis of unknown etiology” and “children”. Results. According to the search results, 312 publications were found. After the selection, 14 publications were included in the review. A systematic analysis of 1,188 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin, which corresponded to the identified case, showed a high variability of causative agents. However, most children were tested positive for adenovirus (almost 57 %), and 14 % of children had a positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Among other viruses detected in children, viruses of the herpes family should be noted, especially human herpesvirus 7 (34.2 %), human herpesvirus 6 (20 %), Epstein-Barr virus (18.2 %), cytomegalovirus (9.2 %). Rhinovirus (40.7 %), enterovirus/rhinovirus (28.7 %), parainfluenza virus (15.4 %), streptococcal infection, and other pathogens were also found. Conclusions. Viruses, genetic predisposition and other factors that change the body’s immune response play an important role in the development of an outbreak of severe hepatitis. Systematic analysis has shown that human adenovirus most often acts as a helper for adeno-associated virus 2, which plays a major role in initiating an immune response in genetically predisposed individuals, causing acute hepatitis and acute liver failure. SARS-CoV-2 infection probably also plays a certain role in immune activation and in the development of hyperinflammation, as do other viruses that act as helpers for adeno-associated virus 2. Continued collection of detailed clinical, microbiological, and epidemiological data on probable cases, as well as well-planned and coordinated follow-up studies are necessary to identify risk factors and other etiological factors associated with this disease.

Adenoviral vectors infect B lymphocytes in vivo

B cells are the antibody-producing arm of the adaptive immune system and play a critical role in controlling pathogens. Several groups have now demonstrated the feasibility of using engineered B cells as a therapy, including infectious disease control and gene therapy of serum deficiencies. These studies have largely utilized exvivo modification of the cells. Direct invivo engineering would be of utility to the field, particularly in infectious disease control where the infrastructure needs of exvivo cell modification would make a broad vaccination campaign highly challenging. In this study we demonstrate that engineered adenoviral vectors are capable of efficiently transducing murine and human primary B cells both exvivo and invivo. We found that unmodified human adenovirus C5 was capable of infecting B cells invivo, likely due to interactions between the virus penton base protein and integrins. We further describe vector modification with B cell-specific gene promoters and successfully restrict transgene expression to B cells, resulting in a strong reduction in gene expression from the liver, the main site of human adenovirus C5 infection invivo.

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on the virus spectrum in children with respiratory infection in Xuzhou, China: a long-term active surveillance study from 2015 to 2021

BackgroundTo investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on the prevalence of respiratory viruses among pediatric patients with acute respiratory infections in Xuzhou from 2015–2021.MethodsSevere acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases in hospitalized children were collected from 2015–2021 in Xuzhou, China. Influenza virus(IFV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human parainfluenza virus type 3(hPIV-3), human rhinovirus (hRV), human adenovirus(hAdV), human coronavirus(hCoV) were detected by real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), and the results were statistically analyzed by SPSS 23.0 software.ResultsA total of 1663 samples with SARI were collected from 2015–2021, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.67:1 and a total virus detection rate of 38.5% (641/1663). The total detection rate of respiratory viruses decreased from 46.2% (2015–2019) to 36% (2020–2021) under the control measures for COVID-19 (P < 0.01). The three viruses with the highest detection rates changed from hRV, RSV, and hPIV-3 to hRV, RSV, and hCoV. The epidemic trend of hPIV-3 and hAdV was upside down before and after control measures(P < 0.01); however, the epidemic trend of RV and RSV had not changed from 2015 to 2021(P > 0.05). After the control measures, the detection rate of hPIV-3 decreased in all age groups, and the detection rate of hCoV increased in all except the 1 ~ 3 years old group.ConclusionsImplementing control measures for COVID-19 outbreak curbed the spread of respiratory viruses among children as a whole. However, the epidemic of RV and RSV was not affected by the COVID-19 control policy.

Monitoring of foodborne viruses in pre- and post-washed root vegetables in the Republic of Korea

Fresh root vegetables are one of the main causes of viral foodborne diseases; however, the associated risk has not been fully considered. Therefore, the prevalence of five foodborne viruses including norovirus (NoV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), rotavirus (RotaV), adenovirus (AdV), and astrovirus (AstroV) in pre- and post-washed root vegetables (potato, carrot, sweet potato, and radish) were investigated by RT-qPCR or qPCR, nested RT-PCR, and sequencing. AdV and NoV GII were only detected in pre-washed samples. NoV GII was found in 1% and 2% of the potatoes and carrots, respectively and AdV in 4% and 10% of the potatoes and radishes, respectively. HAV was detected in 5.8% and 1.3% of the pre-and post-washed sweet potatoes, respectively and in 8% and 2% of the post-washed carrots and radishes, respectively. NoV GI and AstroV was not detected in any of the root vegetables. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genotypes of AdV, NoV, and HAV were belonged to human AdV 41, NoV GII.3, and HAV IA and IB, respectively. This molecular surveillance study clearly demonstrated that human pathogenic viruses are found in root vegetables, and it is possible that they may serve as a potential reservoir for such viruses. Therefore, further research is necessary to confirm this hypothesis. Nevertheless, washing produce can lower the risks of contracting diseases due to certain root vegetables.

The Metallodrug BOLD-100 Is a Potent Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Has Broad-Acting Antiviral Activity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an urgent need to discover and test new drugs to treat patients. Metal-based drugs are known to interact with DNA and/or a variety of proteins such as enzymes and transcription factors, some of which have been shown to exhibit anticancer and antimicrobial effects. BOLD-100 (sodium trans-[tetrachlorobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)]dihydrate) is a novel ruthenium-based drug currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Given that metal-based drugs are known to exhibit antimicrobial activities, we asked if BOLD-100 exhibits antiviral activity towards SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrated that BOLD-100 potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and cytopathic effects in vitro. An RNA sequencing analysis showed that BOLD-100 inhibits virus-induced transcriptional changes in infected cells. In addition, we showed that the antiviral activity of BOLD-100 is not specific for SARS-CoV-2, but also inhibits the replication of the evolutionarily divergent viruses Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 and Human Adenovirus type 5. This study identifies BOLD-100 as a potentially novel broad-acting antiviral drug.

Effect of Human Adenovirus 36 on Response to Metformin Monotherapy in Obese Mexican Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study.

In a prospective cohort study, 103 obese patients with newly diagnosed DM2 were divided into two groups based on their HAdV-36 seropositivity (+HAdV-36 and -HAdV-36). Weight, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist and hip circumference were measured and compared in both groups at baseline and after 45 days of metformin treatment. Only glucose was significantly lower in the +HAdV-36 group at baseline, while all other variables were similar between the two study groups. After 45 days of follow-up, it was observed that the effect of metformin did not differ between the groups, but the variables improved significantly after treatment. In this study, we did not find that HAdV-36 had an effect on the response to metformin in obese patients with DM2.

Dissemination and genome characterization of a human adenovirus F41 in a patient with B-Cell lymphoma

Adenovirus (HAdV) F41 is a common cause of gastroenteritis and has rarely been reported associated with disseminated disease. In this report, an adult patient with a history of ulcerative colitis, cryptogenic cirrhosis, stage III adenocarcinoma, high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on chemotherapy was diagnosed with disseminated adenovirus infection. HAdV DNA was quantified in stool, plasma, and urine with viral loads of 7, 4, and 3 log10 copies/mL, respectively. The patient’s course was rapidly progressive and he passed away 2 days after initiation of antiviral therapy. The patient’s infecting virus was characterized as HAdV-F41 by whole genome sequencing.

Adenovirus Infection in Hematopoietic and Solid Organ Paediatric Transplant Recipients: Treatment, Outcomes, and Use of Cidofovir.

human adenovirus (hAdV) infection constitutes an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients, due to their immune status. Among drugs currently available, cidofovir (CDF) is the most prescribed. Retrospective study of hAdV infection in paediatric transplant recipients from a tertiary paediatric centre, describing characteristics, management, and outcomes, and focused on the role of CDF. 49 episodes of infection by hAdV were detected during a four-year period: 38 episodes in patients that received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (77.6%) and 11 in solid organ transplant recipients (22.4%). Twenty-five patients (52.1%) were symptomatic, presenting mainly fever and/or diarrhoea. CDF was prescribed in 24 patients (49%), with modest results. CDF use was associated with the presence of symptoms resulting in lower lymphocyte count, paediatric intensive care unit admission, and high viral load. Other therapeutic measures included administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, reducing immunosuppression, and T-lymphocyte infusion. Despite treatment, 22.9% of patients did not resolve the infection and there were three deaths related to hAdV infection. All-cause mortality was 16.7% (8 episodes) by 30 days, and 32.7% (16 episodes) by 90 days, of which, 3 episodes (3/16, 18.8%) were attributed to hAdV directly. hAdV infection had high morbidity and mortality in our series. CDF use is controversial, and available therapeutic options are limited. Transplant patients with low lymphocyte count are at higher risk of persistent positive viremias, and short-term survival of these patients was influenced by the resolution of hAdV infection.

Viral etiology of acute respiratory tract infection among children under 5 years of age in Kunming City, China: a matched case-case-control study.

Nucleic acid-based molecular techniques in current laboratory practice allow the identification of a broad range of respiratory viruses. However, due to asymptomatic carriage, the detection of viruses in the respiratory tract does not necessarily indicate disease. The study aimed to investigate infections of different viruses that colonize the airways, the viral combinations in coinfection, and the viral association with the occurrence of either upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI) or lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in children. A matched case-case-control study included ALRTI cases, AURTI cases, and healthy controls was conducted at Kunming Children's Hospital. Oropharyngeal swabs from the three groups were collected for eight viral pathogens detection by multiplex RT-PCR. The association of each pathogen with disease status was determined by comparing the results between cases and controls. From 1 March 2021 through 28 February 2022, 278 participants in each group were investigated. Viral infection was detected in 54.0%, 37.1%, and 12.2% of the ALRTI cases, AURTI cases, and healthy controls, respectively. Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (ADV), and parainfluenza virus-3 (PIV-3) were the most frequently documented viruses. RSV/ADV was the most frequent combination detected in coinfection. When compared to healthy controls, RSV and PIV-3 were independently associated with both ALRTI and AURTI. RSV and PIV-3 were causes of both ALRTI and AURTI cases. These results provide initial evidence of the potential of microbiota-based diagnostics for the differential diagnosis of severe acute respiratory infections using oropharyngeal swab samples.

Unexpected Predominance of Human Adenovirus F41 in Children Suffering From Acute Respiratory Infection in Tunisia

Aim: To evaluate human adenovirus (HAdV) types associated with respiratory infections, nasopharyngeal aspirations (NPA) were collected from children under 2 years old that were hospitalized for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) during 2018–2019. Methods: PCR was used for viral screening and select samples were then sequenced by Sanger sequencing. Results: Among 194 samples, 30 were HAdV-positive and 14 were chosen for further sequencing. HAdV-F41, C2 and C5 circulated simultaneously with an unexpected predominance of HAdV-F41. HAdV infection occurred year-round, with a peak in winter and early spring. The age group most affected was those younger than 6 months. Conclusion: Continued surveillance of HAdV infections is necessary and the contribution of HAdV-F41 in ARTI should be studied.