Prevalence of Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) in Children with Wheezing in Shiraz-Iran

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection plays an important role in the pediatric respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between asthma and wheezing with hMPV in hospitalized children. Nasal pharyngeal swabs obtained from 120 children aged 1-60 months, hospitalized during a one year period, were tested for the hMPV by RT-PCR. HMPV was detected in 20 (16.6%) of patients suffering from wheezing. Some patients in addition to wheezing had asthma 10.8%. This infection occurred predominantly from October 2008 to September 2009.