📄 Human coronavirus OC43 pneumonia in a pediatric cancer patient with Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In this report, we describe a case of pneumonia due to an infection with human coronaviruses (HCo. Vs)-OC43 in a pediatric leukemia patient with Down syndrome and febrile neutropenia. Not only the recently discovered HCo. Vs NL63 or HKU1 but also the prototype strains HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E have to be considered as respiratory pathogens in immunocompromised pediatric cancer patients. The routine utilization of polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic tools would certainly elucidate the etiology of a relevant proportion of "pneumonias of unknown origin" in immunocompromised pediatric patients and would contribute to a better understanding of the role of HCo. Vs in this setting. © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

keywords 🔗 polymerase chain (300) 🔗 human coronavirus (623) 🔗 chain reaction (303)

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