TY - JOUR AU - Heikkinen, Terho AU - Österback, Riikka AU - Peltola, Ville AU - Jartti, Tuomas AU - Vainionpää, Raija T1 - Human Metapneumovirus Infections in Children T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2008 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 101 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is an important cause of lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized children, but the age-related incidence and effect of hMPV in unselected children in the community have not been evaluated. We studied a cohort of 1,338 children <13 years of age throughout 1 respiratory season in Finland during 2000–2001. We examined children and obtained a nasal swab for viral detection at any sign of respiratory infection. hMPV was detected in 47 (3.5%) of the 1,338 children. The age-related incidence of hMPV infection was highest (7.6%) in children <2 years of age, in whom hMPV accounted for 1.7% of all infections during the season. During the epidemic peak, hMPV caused 7.1% of all respiratory infections in the cohort. Acute otitis media developed in 61% of hMPV-infected children <3 years of age. Our findings demonstrate that the effect of hMPV in the community is greatest in children <2 years of age. KW - Human metapneumovirus KW - children KW - respiratory tract KW - otitis media KW - research KW - Finland DO - 10.3201/eid1401.070251 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/1/07-0251_article ER - End of Reference