Virus-associated Rhabdomyolysis in Children

PURPOSE: Virus-associated rhabdomyolysis is very rare. We report 15 patients with rhabdomyolysis caused by various viruses. METHODS: Fifteen patients who were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and a viral infection were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings were evaluated through retrospective chart reviews. RESULTS: Chief complaints were severe bilateral lower leg pain and leg weakness. The median age was 5.7 years. The male:female ratio was 2:5. The viral infections were caused by influenza virus B, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus. One patient with influenza virus B had coinfection with coronavirus. Median initial laboratory values and ranges were as follows:serum creatinine, 0.4 (0.1-0.5) mg/dL; serum aspartate transaminase, 124 (48-1,098) IU/L; serum alanine transaminase, 30 (16-1,455) IU/L; serum creatine kinase, 2,965 (672-16,594) IU; serum lactate dehydrogenase, 400 (269-7,394) IU/L; serum myoglobin, 644 (314-3,867) ng/mL; urine myoglobin, 3 (3-10,431) ng/mL. All patients recovered without complications. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the simultaneous occurrence of rhabdomyolysis caused by various viruses. This is also the first report of rhinovirus-associated rhabdomyolysis.

Virus-associated Rhabdomyolysis in Children

PURPOSE: Virus-associated rhabdomyolysis is very rare. We report 15 patients with rhabdomyolysis caused by various viruses. METHODS: Fifteen patients who were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and a viral infection were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings were evaluated through retrospective chart reviews. RESULTS: Chief complaints were severe bilateral lower leg pain and leg weakness. The median age was 5.7 years. The male:female ratio was 2:5. The viral infections were caused by influenza virus B, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus. One patient with influenza virus B had coinfection with coronavirus. Median initial laboratory values and ranges were as follows:serum creatinine, 0.4 (0.1-0.5) mg/dL; serum aspartate transaminase, 124 (48-1,098) IU/L; serum alanine transaminase, 30 (16-1,455) IU/L; serum creatine kinase, 2,965 (672-16,594) IU; serum lactate dehydrogenase, 400 (269-7,394) IU/L; serum myoglobin, 644 (314-3,867) ng/mL; urine myoglobin, 3 (3-10,431) ng/mL. All patients recovered without complications. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the simultaneous occurrence of rhabdomyolysis caused by various viruses. This is also the first report of rhinovirus-associated rhabdomyolysis.

Parainfluenza virus as a cause of acute respiratory infection in hospitalized childrens

Background: Human parainfluenza viruses account for a significant proportion of lower respiratory tract infections in children.Objective: To assess the prevalence of Human parainfluenza viruses as a cause of acute respiratory infection and to compare clinical data for this infection against those of the human respiratory syncytial virus.Methods: A prospective study in children younger than five years with acute respiratory infection was conducted. Detection of respiratory viruses in nasopharyngeal aspirate samples was performed using the indirect immunofluorescence reaction. Length of hospital stay, age, clinical history and physical exam, clinical diagnoses, and evolution (admission to Intensive Care Unit or general ward, discharge or death) were assessed. Past personal (premature birth and cardiopathy) as well as family (smoking and atopy) medical factors were also assessed.Results: A total of 585 patients were included with a median age of 7.9 months and median hospital stay of six days. No difference between the HRSV+ and HPIV+ groups was found in terms of age, gender or length of hospital stay. The HRSV+ group had more fever and cough. Need for admission to the Intensive Care Unit was similar for both groups but more deaths were recorded in the HPIV+ group. The occurrence of parainfluenza peaked during the autumn in the first two years of the study.Conclusion: Parainfluenza was responsible for significant morbidity, proving to be the second-most prevalent viral agent in this population after respiratory syncytial virus. No difference in clinical presentation was found between the two groups, but mortality was higher in the HPIV+ group.

Morbillivirus de los Delfines: Patógeno re-emergente en la población de cetáceos / Dolphin Morbillivirus: Re-emerging pathogen in cetacean population / Morbillivirus dos Golfinhos: Patógeno re-emergentes em populares de cetáceos

El morbillivirus de los Delfines (DMV) es uno de los agentes más patógenos de los cetáceos; descrito por primera vez a finales de los años 80, y desde entonces ha venido causando brotes que afectan no sólo a las poblaciones de delfines sino también a las de otros cetáceos tanto en las costas de los EEUU como del mediterráneo. En la presente revisión se realizó una búsqueda de literatura científica en MedLine, SciELO, Scopus® y Google Scholar sin límite de fecha, usando descriptores tales como Cetacean morbillivirus, Pilot Whale morbillivirus, Dolphin morbilivirus, strandings, con el objetivo de presentar una actualización crítica sobre los aspectos básicos, clínicos y epidemiológicos de una de las infecciones emergentes más importantes para la fauna cetácea mundial, haciendo especial énfasis en las alternativas actuales para su diagnóstico y control. Con base en la información recopilada se concluye que hace falta no solo estudiar y cuantificar los varamientos, sino desarrollar conciencia sobre la importancia de la infección en los cetáceos y poner en marcha de planes efectivos de control que permitan mantener estas poblaciones en equilibrio biológico.

Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) is one of the most important pathogen of cetaceans. It was first described in the late 80s, since has been causing outbreaks that affects dolphin populations and also in other cetaceans in the U.S. and in the Mediterranean sea. We conducted a bibliographic search in MedLine, SciELO, Scopus® and Google Scholar without timeline limits using MeSH terms such as Cetacean morbillivirus, Pilot Whale morbillivirus, Dolphin morbillivirus, Strandings, etc., with the aim of provide a critical update on basic, clinical and epidemiological aspects of one of the most important emerging infections for cetacean wildlife, with particular emphasis on the current alternatives for diagnosis and control. Based on the information gathered we concluded that there is not only a need to study and quantify the strandings, but we need to develop awareness of the importance of this viral infection in cetaceans and to apply effective management plans that maintain those populations in biological balance.

O morbillivirus dos Golfinhos (DMV) é um dos mais importantes agentes patógenos dos cetáceos; foi descrita pela primeira vez no final dos anos 80, e desde entáo tem provocado surtos que afetam tanto as populac.5es de golfinhos quanto as de outros cetáceos nas duas regioes litorais dos EUA mesmo que no mediterráneo. Nesta revisáo, a pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada no Medline, Scielo, Scopus e Google Scholar®, usando descritores como Cetacean morbillivirus , Pilot Whale morbillivirus, Dolphin morbilivirus, strandings, objetivando apresentar uma atualizacáo crítica e básica dos aspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos das infectes emergentes mais importantes para a vida dos cetáceos no mundo, fazendo especial énfase nas atuais alternativas de diagnostico y controle. Concluísse, na base destas informacoes que além de estudar e quantificar os animais encalhados deve se desenvolver a consciéncia da importáncia da infeccáo em cetáceos e implementar planos de gestáo eficazes que mantenham as populacoes em equilibrio biológico.

Molecular epidemiological study on human metapneumovirus infection among children in Guangzhou / 中华临床感染病杂志

ObjectiveTo conduct a molecular epidemiological study on human metapneumovirus (hMPV) among pediatric patients in Guangzhou. MethodsA total of 1 840 clinical specimens were obtained from pediatric patients with respiratory infections in Guangzhou Women and Children' s Medical Center in 2010.hMPV was detected by real-time TaqMan RT-PCR in clinical specimens.F gene was amplified and the PCR-products were directly sequenced. ResultsIn 1 840 clinical specimens, 66 werehMPV-positive with a positive rate of 3.59％. hMPV was detected in all specimens except those collected in September and October, and the highest positive hMPV rate occurred in April (6.09％). The F genes of 3 randomly selected strains and hMPVgz01 ( isolated in 2008) were compared with subgroups A1, A2, B1,B2 and C, and the highest homology was with BJ1887 strain of genotype A2b (97％). The F genes of the randomly selected strains and hMPVgz01 were 99％ identical to each other. Sequences and phylogenetics analysis revealed that the epidemical strain in Guangzhou belonged to genotype A2b. ConclusionhMPV is prevalent in spring and summer among children in Guangzhou, and A2b is the predominant genotype.

Caracterización biológica de tres aislamientos naturales del Rubulavirus porcino (México)

Biological characterization of three natural isolates of the porcine rubulavirus (Mexico). Porcine rubulavirus (PoRV) produces a neurological and reproductive syndrome in pigs called the blue-eye disease, known only from Mexico. Several isolates were grouped by the main symptoms presented during outbreaks: a) neurotropic in piglets, b) broadly neurotropic in piglets and gonadotropic in adults, and c) gonadotropic in adults. We studied some biological properties of three strains, which fall in one of each virus group: La Piedad Michoacán (LPM) and Producción Animal Cerdos 1 (PAC1) and 3 (PAC3), respectively. The analyzed viral properties are mainly related with the trans-membrane hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion (F) proteins, such as cytopathic effect, hemolysis, hemagglutinating (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) activities. In the infection assays PAC1 strain presented the highest fusogenicity level; however, the most cytolytic strain was PAC3. In addition, HA and NA activities and viral genome of PAC3 strain was detected in supernatants during cell infection earlier than in the other two strains, which shows that PAC3 virions release from the host cell earlier than LPM and PAC1. Experimental determination in purified viruses shows that PAC3 presented a higher HA and NA activities; however, PAC1 shows other interesting properties, such as a high thermostability of HN and differences about substrate profile respect to LPM and PAC3. Our data suggest that NA activity is associated with the virulence of RVP. Rev. Biol. Trop. 56 (2): 487-499. Epub 2008 June 30.

El Rubulavirus porcino causa un síndrome neurológico y reproductivo en cerdos, hasta ahora reportado sólo en México. Los virus aislados se agrupan de acuerdo con los síntomas principales observados durante los brotes en: a) neutrópicos en lechones, b) neurotrópicos en lechones/gonadotrópicos en adultos y c) gonadotrópicos en adultos. En este trabajo se estudiaron tres cepas: La Piedad Michoacán (LPM) y Producción Animal "Cerdos" 1 (PAC1) y 3 (PAC3), ubicadas respectivamente en cada grupo. Las propiedades estudiadas se relacionan principalmente con dos proteínas de la envoltura viral, la hemaglutinina-neuraminidasa (HN) y la proteína de fusión (F). Se cuantificaron el efecto citopático y las actividades de hemólisis, hemaglutinación (HA) y neuraminidasa (NA). En cultivo celular la cepa PAC1 presentó una mayor actividad fusogénica, sin embargo PAC3 presentó la mayor actividad citolítica. La cepa PAC3 fue la primera en ser detectada en sobrenadante de células infectadas (HA, NA y genoma), lo que muestra que sus viriones son liberados al medio antes que las otras dos cepas. PAC3 tuvo las actividades más altas de HA y NA, sin embargo, PAC1 presentó una mayor termoestabilidad en estas actividades de HN y un perfil de substrato algo distinto de los observados para LPM y PAC3. Estos datos sugieren que la actividad de NA está relacionada con la virulencia del RVP.