Epidemiology and clinical presentations of human coronavirus NL63 infections in hong kong children.

ABSTRACT: Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) has been found in children presenting with respiratory tract infections (RTIs). However, the epidemiology and clinical course of this newly identified virus have not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the epidemiology, seasonality, and clinical features of HCoV-NL63 in Hong Kong children. This study consisted of two cohorts of children hospitalized in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. In the 12-month retrospective part of the study, reverse transcription-PCR was used to detect HCoVs in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs). Positive samples were sequenced to confirm the identity of the virus and to determine its phylogenetic relationship with the HCoV-NL63 strains found elsewhere. The second part covered a subsequent 12-month period in whic

SUBMITTER: Leung TF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2772645 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature