[Detection of human bocavirus in children from Tucuman and Santa Fe, Argentina].

Background: A large proportion of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) remain without etiologic diagnosis, reason why new pathogens are investigated continuously. Human bocavirus (HBoV) was discovered in 2005, as a new member of Parvoviridae family and proposed to cause ARTI. Aim: To know the prevalence of HBoV among pediatric populations hospitalized for ARTI in two provinces of Argentina: Santa Fe and Tucuman; and to describe epidemiological and clinical aspects associated to its detection. Materials and Methods: We studied nasopharyngeal aspirates of patients younger than 5 years old that were hospitalized during 2013 due ARTI. HBoV DNA was assayed using PCR described by Allander et al. Traditional viruses were studied by immunofluorescence. Personal, clinical and epidemiological data were collected in a standardized form. Results: The HBoV was detected in 7% of the samples and was prevalent in spring and summer and in children younger of 2 years old. Other respiratory viruses were detected in 22% of HBoV positive samples. Discussion: We detected HBoV in these two provinces of Argentina. Further studies should be performed to determine if it's a recent infection or prolonged viral shedding.