OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics of human bocavirus (HBoV) among children and to understand the association of HBoV with human diseases.

METHODTotally 148 nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) samples were collect from hospitalized children with acute respiratory infection during Oct. 2005 to Feb. 2006. Two serum samples were obtained from HBoV positive patients. PCR was used to assay all these samples and PCR products were sequenced.

RESULTHBoV was positive in 11 of 148 NPA samples. The positive rate was 7.4 percent. The serum samples of HBoV infected patients showed that serum contained HBoV by PCR assay. All these HBoV positive patients had the clinical symptoms of bronchitis, bronchopneumonia and pneumonia. Some patients had diarrhea.

CONCLUSIONAll patients infected with HBoV had upper and lower respiratory tract infections. HBoV is a probable important pathogen of upper and lower respiratory tract infection. The HBoV could cause viremia. In addition, some HBoV patients had diarrhea. HBoV infection probably could also result in intestinal disease and other related symptoms.