Human Bocavirus Infection in Children with Acute Respiratory Infection in Nairobi, Kenya

Samwel Morris Lifumo Symekher, George Gachara, James Maylor Simwa, Jane Gichogo, Moses Rotich, Musa Otieno Ng’ayo, Japheth Magana

Center for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
National Influenza Center, Center for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya.

DOI: 10.4236/ojmm.2013.34035                

Abstract

Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age in developing countries with viruses contributing significantly to this problem. The recently identified parvovirus, Human Bocavirus (HBoV), has also been associated with ARI. Objective: To determine the frequency of HBoV in patients with ARI. Materials and Methods: Samples from 125 consenting patients with influenza like illness signs and symptoms were collected. DNA was extracted from these samples using the QIAamp DNA blood mini kit (Qiagen, Germany). Conventional PCR was carried out and the amplicons were examined in 2% agarose gels stained with ethidium bromide. This was followed by sequencing of the HBoV positive samples. Results: Twenty one (16.8%) patients were found to have HBoV infection. Males (n = 61.9%) were mainly infected with HBoV. Local HBoV strains had 98.9% - 100% similarities and were found to cluster together with other strains obtained elsewhere. Conclusion: These findings suggest that HBoV plays a role in respiratory tract infections in children in Kenya just like it has been found elsewhere. It also sheds light on multiple infections associated with HBoV infections in Kenya.

Keywords

Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI); Human Bocavirus (HBoV); Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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