The significance of human metapneumovirus in the Australian paediatric population

人偏肺病毒（hMPV）是一种新发现的副粘病毒，其临床和病毒学特征与人呼吸道合胞病毒（hRSV）非常相似。人类呼吸道合胞病毒是婴儿急性下呼吸道疾病的主要病因，每年在全世界造成100多万人死亡。大多数婴儿在出生后的第一年就被感染，再次感染很常见。病毒的遗传变异被认为在其逃避免疫反应和在同一宿主中建立多重连续感染的能力中起着关键作用。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作为呼吸道病原体的重要性，并将确定澳大利亚儿童hMPV感染率、暴露年龄和感染率。此外，我们将确定感染本地儿童的hMPV毒株（基因型），以及这些毒株与在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（如果有的话）。这些数据对于设计未来的hMPV疫苗战略是无价的，对澳大利亚毒株之间遗传变异的研究将对公共卫生产生深远的影响。本研究项目是对儿童hMPV临床和病毒学意义的初步研究，并将为今后的研究项目奠定基础。一旦获得这些初步数据，就有可能进一步研究确定对hMPV感染的细胞免疫反应及其在长期保护中的作用。此外，hMPV很可能像hRSV一样，可能被证明是一种与长期肺功能下降和气流限制有关的因素，可能发展为哮喘。

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.