Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cause a high burden of disease, particularly in children and the elderly. With the aim to add knowledge on RSV and HMPV infections in Italy, a prospective, multicenter study was conducted by eight centers of the Working Group on Respiratory Virus Infections (GLIViRe), from December 2018-April 2019. Weekly distribution and patients' demographic and clinical data were compared in 1300 RSV and 222 HMPV-positive cases. Phylogenetic analysis of the G-glycoprotein coding region was performed to characterize circulating strains. RSV positivity ranged from 6.4% in outpatients of all ages to 31.7% in hospitalized children; HMPV positivity was 4-1.2% with no age-association. RSV season peaked in February and ended in mid-April: HMPV circulation was higher when RSV decreased in early spring. RSV was more frequent in infants, whereas HMPV infected comparatively more elderly adults; despite, their clinical course was similar. RSV-B cases were two-thirds of the total and had similar clinical severity compared to RSV-A. Phylogenetic analysis showed the circulation of RSV-A ON1 variants and the predominance of RSV-B genotype BA10. HMPV genotype A2c was the prevalent one and presented insertions of different lengths in G. This first multicenter Italian report on seasonality, age-specific distribution, and clinical presentation of RSV and HMPV demonstrated their substantial disease burden in young patients but also in the elderly. These data may provide the basis for a national respiratory virus surveillance network.

Multicenter epidemiological investigation and genetic characterization of respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus infections in the pre-pandemic 2018-2019 season in northern and central Italy

Novazzi, Federica;
2022-01-01

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cause a high burden of disease, particularly in children and the elderly. With the aim to add knowledge on RSV and HMPV infections in Italy, a prospective, multicenter study was conducted by eight centers of the Working Group on Respiratory Virus Infections (GLIViRe), from December 2018-April 2019. Weekly distribution and patients' demographic and clinical data were compared in 1300 RSV and 222 HMPV-positive cases. Phylogenetic analysis of the G-glycoprotein coding region was performed to characterize circulating strains. RSV positivity ranged from 6.4% in outpatients of all ages to 31.7% in hospitalized children; HMPV positivity was 4-1.2% with no age-association. RSV season peaked in February and ended in mid-April: HMPV circulation was higher when RSV decreased in early spring. RSV was more frequent in infants, whereas HMPV infected comparatively more elderly adults; despite, their clinical course was similar. RSV-B cases were two-thirds of the total and had similar clinical severity compared to RSV-A. Phylogenetic analysis showed the circulation of RSV-A ON1 variants and the predominance of RSV-B genotype BA10. HMPV genotype A2c was the prevalent one and presented insertions of different lengths in G. This first multicenter Italian report on seasonality, age-specific distribution, and clinical presentation of RSV and HMPV demonstrated their substantial disease burden in young patients but also in the elderly. These data may provide the basis for a national respiratory virus surveillance network.
2022
2022
Bronchiolitis; Human metapneumovirus; Molecular epidemiology; Pneumonia; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory viruses
Pierangeli, Alessandra; Piralla, Antonio; Uceda Renteria, Sara; Giacomel, Giovanni; Lunghi, Giovanna; Pagani, Elisabetta; Giacobazzi, Elisabetta; Vian, Elisa; Biscaro, Valeria; Piccirilli, Giulia; Lazzarotto, Tiziana; Menzo, Stefano; Ferreri, Monica Lucia; Novazzi, Federica; Petrarca, Laura; Licari, Amelia; Ferrari, Guglielmo; Oliveto, Giuseppe; Antonelli, Guido; Binda, Sandro; Galli, Cristina; Pellegrinelli, Laura; Pariani, Elena; Baldanti, Fausto
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11383/2143994
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