Detection of novel polyomaviruses, TSPyV, HPyV6, HPyV7, HPyV9 and MWPyV in feces, urine, blood, respiratory swabs and cerebrospinal fluid

PLoS One. 2013 May 8;8(5):e62764. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062764. Print 2013.

Abstract

Eight novel human polyomaviruses have been discovered since 2007. Prevalence rates and tissue tropism for the most recent members HPyV 6, 7, 9, TSPyV and MWPyV are largely unknown. We used real-time PCR to determine the presence of HPyV 6, 7, 9, TSPyV and MWPyV in feces (n = 263), urine (n = 189), blood (n = 161), respiratory swabs (n = 1385) and cerebrospinal fluid (n = 171) from both healthy control children and children and adults undergoing diagnostic testing. Whole genome sequencing was able to be performed on 9 MWPyV positive specimens. Novel polyomaviruses were only detected in respiratory swabs and feces, with no detections of HPyV 9 in any sample type. MWPyV was found to be the most prevalent novel polyomavirus, being detected in 18 (1.5%) respiratory specimens from symptomatic patients, 16 (9.8%) respiratory sample from healthy control children, 11 (5.9%) fecal specimens from patient suffering gastrointestinal illness, and in 13 (15.3%) of feces from healthy control children. MWPyV was found only in respiratory and fecal specimens from children, the oldest being 9 years old. HPyV 6, 7, 9 and TSPyV were also detected in respiratory specimens and fecal specimens at low prevalence (<1.3%). The majority of these detections were found in immunocompromised patients. Our findings suggest that MWPyV can result in a subclinical infection, persistent or intermittent shedding, particularly in young children. The other novel polyomaviruses were also found in respiratory and fecal specimens, but at lower prevalence and most commonly in immunocompromised individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood / virology*
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid / virology*
  • Child
  • Feces / virology*
  • Genome, Viral / genetics
  • Humans
  • Polyomavirus / genetics*
  • Polyomavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Polyomavirus Infections / genetics
  • Prevalence
  • Queensland / epidemiology
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Respiratory System / virology*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Species Specificity
  • Urine / virology*

Grants and funding

Funding is generously supplied by the Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute (PhD Scholarship 10298) and program grant #50006 from Children’s Health foundation, Queensland and Woolworths. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.