Human bocavirus (HBoV) is commonly detected in the respiratory tract in children, but it is a challenging issue whether HBoV cause respiratory tract disease (RTD) or not. We aimed to analyze the incidence and clinical features of HBoV infection. Between February 2008 and February 2016, hospitalized or outpatient pediatric cases (<18 years) whom had isolation of HBoV in respiratory tract in the Infectious Diseases Unit of Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children’s Hospital were enrolled in the present study. Nasal swab samples were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Human bocavirus was detected in 31 (2.5%) of the 1227 children tested. The 31 patients (16 males, 15 females) were aged 19.52 ± 17.56 months (range, 2-69). About 61.3 % of these infections occurred between November and March. The 15 (48.4%) patients were hospitalized with a diagnosis of pneumonia/bronchopneumonia and the remaining 13 (41.9%) patients were still in inpatient ward and 3 (9.7%) patients were followed-up in outpatient clinic. Coinfection with another virus was observed in 12 (38.7%) of the HBoV-positive children. The most common presenting symptoms were cough and fever, 74.2% and 61.3%, respectively. While there were no underlying diseases in 35.5% of the patients, there was an underlying disease, particularly neuromusculary diseases with an incidence of 40%, in 64.5% of the patients. Almost all of the patients who had isolated HBoV were hospitalized or still in inpatient ward with a diagnosis of pneumonia/bronchopneumonia, providing support for a role of this virus in RTD. Seasonal distribution of the virus is common in under 2 years of age, similar to influenza virus.

Keywords: respiratory tract disease, human bocavirus