This study was perfomed to analyze in detail the viral etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) in Cheunan, Korea by multiplex RT-PCR, including human rhinovirus (hRV) and newly identified viruses such as human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and human coronavirus (HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E/NL63).

Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) were collected from 863 hospitalized children with ALRI on the first day of admission at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital and analyzed by multiplex RT-PCR from December 2005 to November 2006.

Viral agents were detected from 474 subjects (54.9%). The identified viral pathogens were hRV 9.2%, hMPV 6.8%, HCoV-229E/NL63 1.4%, and HCoV-OC43 2.1%. Coinfections with ≥2 viruses were observed in 108 patients (22.8%). The major period of viral ALRI was the first year of life. Clinical diagnoses of viral ALRI were pneumonia (59.5%), bronchiolitis (24.7%), tracheobronchitis (11.4%), and croup (4%). The most common causes of bronchiolitis was respiratory syncytial virus B (RSV B), whereas hMPV, hRV, HCoV-229E/NL63, and HCoV-OC43 were commonly found in patients with pneumonia. The number of hMPV infections peaked between March and May 2006. HCoV-OC43 was prevalent from November to February 2006, whereas HCoV-229E and hRV were detected throughout the year.

Although the study was confined to one year, hMPV was not detected during winter and peaked between March and April, which was not consistent with previous studies'. This present study indicates that HCoV is a less common respiratory pathogen in cases of ALRI in Korean children.