Human Metapneumovirus-Associated Lower Respiratory Tract Infections among Hospitalized Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-Infected and HIV-1-Uninfected African Infants

Respiratory tract infections due to human metapneumovirus (hMPV) have been reported worldwide, with the exception of Africa. The prevalence of hMPV infection was studied among human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected and HIV-1-uninfected African infants who were hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples obtained from 81 HIV-1-infected and 110 HIV-1-uninfected infants who had tested negative for other respiratory viruses were selected for investigation. hMPV was detected in 10 HIV-1-uninfected infants (9.1%) and 3 HIV-1-infected infants (3.7%). Compared with the entire cohort of HIV-1-uninfected infants, hMPV was 4.6-fold less common than respiratory syncytial virus, but it was 3.2-fold more common than influenza virus and 2.1-fold more common than parainfluenza virus types 1-3. Genotyping of 7 of 14 isolates revealed the circulation of 2 major phylogenetic groups of the virus, which were similar to those described in North America and Europe.