ABSTRACT
To study the epidemic characteristics of human rhinovirus (HRV) in children with acute respiratory infections in Gansu Province. 286 throat swabs were collected from children with acute respiratory in fections in Gansu Province during 2011. Multiplex reverse transcription-PCR (multiplex RT-PCR) assay was used to screen those specimens for detection of common respiratory tract pathogens. For HRV-positive samples, nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) was performed to amplify VP1 and VP4/VP2 gene fragments of HRV. The VP4/VP2 and VP1 regions of HRV-positive samples were sequenced and performed genotype analysis. Of 286 specimens fested, 27 were positive for HRV by multiplex RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR, of which 16 children were made (16/185), 8.64%) and 11 female (11/101,10.89%). The positive rate was 9.44% (27/286). The mean age of HRV-positive children was 3 years in this study, children less than one year old had the highest proportion 44.4% (12/ 27, 44.4%). The highest HRV positive rate fell on May, 2011 (6/27, 22.2%). Common cold accounted for the highest proportion, 12.24% (12/98) followed by pneumonia, 8.50% (13/153). The remaining 2 cases were bronchitis. Sequence analysis showed HRV A was the predominant genotype in Gansu Province in 2011, accounting for 84.62% (22/26) of positive cases, followed by HRV C (11.54%, 3/26) and only one HRV B was detected (3.85%, 1/26). HRV could be detected throughout the year in Gansu Province and primarily infected children under one year old. The group A was the epidemic genotype of HRV and move than one genotype existed in Gansu Province during 2011.