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Publications

Journal Article Ppublish

PubMed: 40285962 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-025-05140-6

Respiratory virome in hospitalized children and analysis of its correlation with disease severity.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 44(7):1643-1657

Authors: Jing Liao, Jian Hua Wei, Jiao Liu, Luo Ren, Na Zang, Enmei Liu

Affiliations

  • Department of Respiratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 136 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, China. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Rare Diseases in Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China.
  • Department of Respiratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 136 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, China. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Rare Diseases in Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China.
  • Department of Respiratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 136 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, China. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Rare Diseases in Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China.

Abstract

PURPOSE

To investigate the composition of respiratory viromes and their association with disease severity among hospitalized pediatric patients.

METHODS

Clinical data and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) results were collected from pediatric patients hospitalized at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between January 2022 and September 2023. The analyzed specimens included sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).

RESULTS

The study included 229 patients (65.07% male, median age 3 years) with 25 sputum and 204 BALF samples, of whom 40.17% met the WHO criteria for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Herpesviruses were detected in 166 cases (72.49%), including 85 cases of cytomegalovirus (CMV), 64 cases of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), 34 cases of human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7), 12 cases of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), and 6 cases of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Additionally, 53 cases of torque teno virus (TTV) and 7 cases of torque teno mini virus (TLMV) were detected. CMV prevalence was highest in neonates, while EBV peaked in the 3-6 year group (37.78%). HSV-1 and HHV-6 were predominantly identified in severe infections.

CONCLUSION

Herpesviruses, particularly CMV and EBV, were the most frequently detected viruses, followed by anelloviruses. The age-specific viral distribution patterns provide novel epidemiological perspectives for understanding pediatric respiratory pathogenesis, though their clinical significance requires validation through mechanistic studies.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

MeSH

Herpesvirus 7, Human, Herpesvirus 6, Human, Microbiology, Child, Hospitalized, Herpesvirus 4, Human, Herpesvirus 1, Human, Sputum, Viruses, Virome, Communicable Diseases, Infections, Child