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Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was first described by van den Hoogen et al in a 2001 Nature Medicine publication. This group was able to isolate the virus from young children with respiratory tract disease and demonstrated, by studying old sera, that hMPV has been present in the European community for more than 50 years. The presence of hMPV was next reported in the Australian paediatric population. The virus
causes symptoms which are impossible to differentiate from those due
to infection by another common pneumovirus, human respiratory syncytial
virus (hRSV). Following infection with MPV, a subject may remain asymptomatic
or show clinical features including rhinorrhoea, cough, tachypnoea,
wheeze, vomiting, pharyngitis, chest wheeze with crackles, bilateral
parahilar pneumonic infiltrates It also seems that hMPV causes disease in a similar age-group to hRSV, i.e. the majority of children have been infected with hMPV by five years of age. In addition, the virus impacts upon the elderly and the immunocompromised. Genetically, the virus is most closely related to type C avian pneumoviruses (APV; previously turkey rhinotracheitis virus-TRTV). Critical Link Dutch identify virus causing flu-like illness Evidence of human metapneumovirus in Australian children Infectious Diseases Metapneumovirus New lung virus discovered New lung virus in Queensland Newly Discovered Respiratory Virus is Widespread Paramyxoviruses Researchers discover a new respiratory tract virus: human metapneumovirus The Royal College of General Practitioners hMPV Nucleotide Sequences
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