Viruses 2009, 1(3), 678-688; doi:10.3390/v1030678
Review

WU Polyomavirus (WUPyV): A Recently Detected Virus Causing Respiratory Disease?

Michael Kleines 1,* email, Martin Häusler 2 email, Alexander Krüttgen 1 email and Simone Scheithauer 3 email
1 Division of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany 2 Deparment of Pediatrics, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany 3 Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 20 August 2009; in revised form: 19 October 2009 / Accepted: 4 November 2009 / Published: 4 November 2009
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Newly Identified Respiratory Viruses)
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Abstract: The WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) is a novel member of the family Polyomaviridae recently detected in respiratory tract specimens by shotgun sequencing. Intriguingly, viral genome has been detected in 0.4% to 11.5% of respiratory tract specimens from children with respiratory disease. The levels of co-infection with established respiratory viruses were in the range between 30.8% and 91.7%. Moreover, some studies report detection of WUPyV in stool or serum. So far, WUPyV infections can not be distinguished from other viral infections by means of clinical symptoms. Respiratory tract disease like pneumonia or bronchitis is frequently observed in patients harbouring WUPyV. Detection of viremia suggests systemic infections. However, the available data do not prove WUPyV to be a human pathogen. Further investigations are necessary.
Keywords: respiratory tract disease; infection; novel virus; Polyomaviridae; WUPyV

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kleines, M.; Häusler, M.; Krüttgen, A.; Scheithauer, S. WU Polyomavirus (WUPyV): A Recently Detected Virus Causing Respiratory Disease? Viruses 2009, 1, 678-688.

AMA Style

Kleines M, Häusler M, Krüttgen A, Scheithauer S. WU Polyomavirus (WUPyV): A Recently Detected Virus Causing Respiratory Disease? Viruses. 2009; 1(3):678-688.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kleines, Michael; Häusler, Martin; Krüttgen, Alexander; Scheithauer, Simone. 2009. "WU Polyomavirus (WUPyV): A Recently Detected Virus Causing Respiratory Disease?" Viruses 1, no. 3: 678-688.

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