Abstract
In June and July, 2013, 13 of 30 patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) at our center presented with respiratory symptoms, including mainly a fever, coughing, nasal discharge and increased sputum. Six of them began wheezing and two of them died. Significantly increased human metapneumovirus (hMNV) antibody levels were observed in paired serum samples from nine patients, confirming an hMNV outbreak. Acute antibody levels in the 13 affected patients were from 1:200 to 1:1600. Previously infected patients were sometimes reinfected and some cases were very serious. This report shows that hMNV infection can easily become very serious for high risk patients such as those with SMID, and may even lead to death in those with comorbidities. Measures are therefore needed for early detection of hMNV infections and prevention of the virus from spreading in facilities.
