The significance of human metapneumovirus in the Australian paediatric population

人类偏肺病毒在澳大利亚儿科人群中的重要性

• 批准号: nhmrc : 243702
• 负责人: A/Pr Ian Masters
• 金额: $ 30.51万
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: NHMRC Project Grants
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2003-01-01 至 2005-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://researchdata.edu.au/significance-human-metapneumovirus-paediatric-population/94749
• 关键词: significance; human; metapneumovirus; Australian; paediatric

A newly discovered paramyxovirus, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), shows clinical and virological charcteristics very similar to those of human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV). Human RSV is the major cause of acute lower respiratory illness in infants and accounts for more than 1 million deaths world wide annually. Most infants are infected in their first year of life, and re-infection is common. Genetic variation of the virus is thought to play a critical role in its ability to escape the immune response and establish multiple sequential infections in the same host. Currently, we have no knowledge of the extent that hMPV exists in the Australian population, nor do we know if hMPV is a significant respiratory pathogen in paediatric patients. This research aims to determine the importance of hMPV as a respiratory agent, and will establish the rate, age of exposure, and incidence of hMPV infection in Australian children. In addition, we will identify the hMPV strains (genotypes) that infect local children, and the difference, if any, between these and virus strains detected in children from other community groups, and from overseas. Such data is invaluable in devising a future vaccine strategy for hMPV, and the study of the genetic variability among Australian strains will have profound implications for public health. This research project is a preliminary study into the clinical and virological significance of hMPV, in children, and will form a basis for future research projects. Once this preliminary data is obtained, further studies are possible to determine the cellular immune response to hMPV infection and its role in long-term protection. Also,it is likely that hMPV, like hRSV, may prove to be an agent associated with long-term decreased pulmonary function and airflow limitation perhaps developing to asthma.

新发现的副粘病毒，人偏肺病毒（hMPV），其临床和病毒学特征与人呼吸道合胞病毒（hRSV）非常相似。人类 RSV 是婴儿急性下呼吸道疾病的主要原因，每年导致全球超过 100 万人死亡。大多数婴儿在出生后第一年就被感染，并且再次感染很常见。人们认为病毒的遗传变异在其逃避免疫反应并在同一宿主中建立多次连续感染的能力中发挥着关键作用。目前，我们不知道 hMPV 在澳大利亚人群中存在的程度，也不知道 hMPV 是否是儿科患者的重要呼吸道病原体。本研究旨在确定 hMPV 作为呼吸病原体的重要性，并将确定澳大利亚儿童中 hMPV 感染的比率、暴露年龄和发病率。此外，我们还将确定感染本地儿童的 hMPV 毒株（基因型），以及这些毒株与其他社区群体和海外儿童中检测到的病毒毒株之间的差异（如果有）。这些数据对于制定 hMPV 未来疫苗策略非常宝贵，并且对澳大利亚毒株遗传变异性的研究将对公众健康产生深远影响。该研究项目是对 hMPV 在儿童中的临床和病毒学意义的初步研究，并将为未来的研究项目奠定基础。一旦获得初步数据，就可以进一步研究以确定对 hMPV 感染的细胞免疫反应及其在长期保护中的作用。此外，hMPV 与 hRSV 一样，可能被证明是一种与长期肺功能下降和气流受限相关的病原体，可能会发展为哮喘。