eMedicine Specialties > Infectious Diseases > Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Human Metapneumovirus: Follow-up

Author: Ashley Maranich, MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellow, National Capital Consortium, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Michael Rajnik, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Acting Program Director, Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellowship Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Michael D Nissen, MBBS, BMedSc, FRACP, FRCPA, Associate Professor in Biomolecular, Biomedical Science & Health, Griffith University; Director of Infectious Diseases and Unit Head of Queensland Paediatric Infectious Laboratory, Sir Albert Sakzewski Viral Research Centre, Royal Children's Hospital; Theodorus P Sloots, PhD, Director, Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Center, Queensland Pediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Royal Children's Hospital and Health Service District
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: May 1, 2009

Follow-up

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Currently, no vaccine is available for human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection. This is an active area of research, with several groups investigating different vaccination strategies in animal models.39 A vaccine using the F (fusion) protein seems to be promising in cotton rat studies.40
  • Development of prophylactic antiviral preparations is also underway, with hMPV effectively inhibited in vivo using specific viral fusion inhibitors.41
  • Because hMPV transmission is likely to occur by contact with respiratory secretions, adherence to strict infection control methods is recommended in clinic and hospital settings.

Patient Education

 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous coauthor David Siebert, MD, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Human Metapneumovirus

Overview: Human Metapneumovirus
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Human Metapneumovirus
Treatment & Medication: Human Metapneumovirus
Follow-up: Human Metapneumovirus
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

human metapneumovirus, metapneumovirus, hMPV, human parainfluenza virus 1, HPIV-1, paramyxoviruses, Paramyxoviridae, human respiratory syncytial virus, hRSV, respiratory syncytial virus, RSV infection, avian pneumovirus, APV, turkey rhinotracheitis virus, TRTV

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ashley Maranich, MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellow, National Capital Consortium, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Michael Rajnik, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Acting Program Director, Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellowship Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Michael Rajnik, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, Armed Forces Infectious Diseases Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Michael D Nissen, MBBS, BMedSc, FRACP, FRCPA, Associate Professor in Biomolecular, Biomedical Science & Health, Griffith University; Director of Infectious Diseases and Unit Head of Queensland Paediatric Infectious Laboratory, Sir Albert Sakzewski Viral Research Centre, Royal Children's Hospital
Michael D Nissen, MBBS, BMedSc, FRACP, FRCPA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society for Microbiology, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Theodorus P Sloots, PhD, Director, Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Center, Queensland Pediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Royal Children's Hospital and Health Service District
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Douglas A Drevets, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Disease, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center
Douglas A Drevets, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Immunologists, American Society for Microbiology, Central Society for Clinical Research, and Christian Medical & Dental Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

John W King, MD, Professor of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center; Director, Viral Therapeutics Clinics for Hepatitis; Consulting Staff, Department of Infectious Diseases, Overton Brook Veterans Affairs Medical Center
John W King, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, American Society for Microbiology, Association of Subspecialty Professors, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: emedicine $50.00 author of chapter

CME Editor

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital
Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD, Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital
Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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