Parainfluenza Virus Infection Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected and HIV-Uninfected Children and Adults Hospitalized for Severe Acute Respiratory Illness in South Africa, 2009–2014

Cohen, Adam L.; Sahr, Philip K.; Treurnicht, Florette; Walaza, Sibongile; Groome, Michelle J.; Kahn, Kathleen; Dawood, Halima; Variava, Ebrahim; Tempia, Stefano; Pretorius, Marthi; Moyes, Jocelyn; Olorunju, Steven A. S.; Malope-Kgokong, Babatyi; Kuonza, Lazarus; Wolter, Nicole; von Gottberg, Anne; Madhi, Shabir A.; Venter, Marietjie; Cohen, Cheryl

Parainfluenza virus (PIV) is a paramyxovirus commonly detected in patients with respiratory illness, such as upper respiratory tract infections, laryngotracheobronchitis (croup), or pneumonia. There are 4 distinct types: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Parainfluenza virus infection is most common in childhood, and serologic surveys have shown that nearly all children have antibodies to PIV by 5 years of age [1, 2] . Parainfluenza virus is associated with 3%-10% of hospitalized respiratory tract infections in children and adults [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] . Parainfluenza virus infections occur throughout the year, but there are recognized patterns of seasonality associated with different types [11] . The clinical significance of identifying PIV infection among patients with respiratory illness does not necessarily imply causation because the virus may be found in individuals without respiratory symptoms [12] .