New Virus A Major Cause Of Infection In Children

Human metapneumovirus -- a pathogen first identified in 2001 -- is responsible for 12 percent of lower respiratory tract infections that occur in young children, according to a report published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine. The findings indicate that "metapneumovirus infection accounts for a substantial proportion of respiratory tract illnesses that were previously undiagnosed," Dr. Kenneth McIntosh, co-author of an accompanying editorial, told Reuters Health. "There are still some undiagnosed cases, but this fills in a lot of the gap."