Análise epidemiológica e caracterização parcial do gene F dos Metapneumovirus Humano detectados a partir de casos de infecção respiratória aguda na Região Norte do Brasil

Abstract

Diseases of the respiratory tract are the main complaints in health care services, and acute respiratory infections (ARI) the most common manifestations, especially in children under five years of age. In developing countries the ARI are a serious public health problem. Throughout the world is estimated to occur in approximately 2 million deaths each year by ARI. Among the causative agents of ARI, we highlight the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), especially by causing severe illness in children under 5 years. Aiming to generate data on the molecular epidemiology of this virus, we analyzed samples taken from patients with ARI in the period January 2009 to December 2011 arising from the Northern Region (Pará, Amazonas, Acre, Amapá and Roraima). It was used the technique of real time PCR (qRT-PCR) to detect the virus by the N gene and RT-PCR for the gene encoding the F protein, which was then partially sequenced. Within the study period, were tested in 2966 samples, 129 of which were positive for HMPV. The age group of 0-4 years was the one that focused more cases (n = 84, 65.89%) across the North. The identification of viruses was found to co-circulation of subgroups A2 and B2 during the three years of the study. Subgroups A1 and B1 not circulated in the region during the study period. This study represents the first report of data on molecular epidemiology of Human Metapneumovirus in northern Brazil.