What Is a Bocavirus?
Human bocavirus is a type of human virus that has been newly discovered. It is mainly found to be responsible for causing pneumococcal infections, digestive tract infections, and common flu symptoms in human beings. Medical researchers have mainly identified four genotypes since the discovery of the bocavirus in human beings which include HBoV1, HBoV2, HBoV3, and HBoV4. The genotype HBoV1 was first isolated from the secretions of the respiratory tract by scientists. Other strains of the virus were primarily found in stool specimens.
Human bocavirus is mainly seen in children worldwide. Bocavirus is often found in the respiratory secretions of sick children along with other respiratory viruses. Bocavirus may cause infections on its own or may worsen other viral infections. It can mostly cause disease in individuals suffering from underlying lung defects or having poor immunity.
What Is the Structure of Bocavirus?
Bocavirus is a very small, nonenveloped single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) virus. It belongs to the family of Parvoviridae viruses. There are four main genes labeled according to their functional properties. Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) is responsible for the transcription of genes. It is a DNA-binding protein. NP1 is also a nonstructural protein. It is a protein with unknown functional properties. The other two proteins are capsid proteins which include viral protein 1 (VP1) and viral protein 2 (VP2).
How Does Bocavirus Infection Spread?
Most infections caused by bocavirus are pneumococcal and associated with the genome HBoV1. The disease symptoms are commonly seen in pediatric patients between the age group of 6 to 24 months. Adults may also get infected by bocavirus but the symptoms are much less likely evident. The virus is mainly transmitted from the patient’s nose, throat, and mouth via respiratory secretions. Bocaviruses can also be transmitted by the stool of the infected person having a gastrointestinal infection but it is less common.
What Is the Incubation Period for Bocavirus?
The incubation period for bocavirus is not known. Asymptomatic children may shed the bocavirus for several weeks. Therefore, it is not possible to determine when a sick patient gets infected with the virus. Hence, the incubation period cannot be determined. The contagious period of bocavirus is not yet clear. Both healthy and sick people can shed bocavirus on and off for several weeks in pneumococcal secretions.
What Are the Risk Factors for a Bocavirus Infection?
The following risk factors can be responsible for the spread of bocavirus infection.
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Young children who are in group childcare may develop a viral infection someday.
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Children falling in the age group of 6 months to 24 months are at a higher risk of acquiring the viral infection.
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Adults that are exposed to infected young children and group childcare situations may develop bocavirus infection.
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Preterm birth infants and children suffering from lung abnormalities or respiratory problems may be at a higher risk for developing this serious disease.
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People having poor immunity are also at a higher risk of acquiring viral infection.
What Are the Clinical Symptoms of a Bocavirus Infection?
Bocavirus infections have been found to be associated with common flu symptoms and upper respiratory tract infections, along with gastrointestinal tract infections. Most often, the prodromal symptoms appear as a cold and cough accompanied by high temperature, and a flowy or running nose. Diarrhea may also occur in patients suffering from a gastrointestinal infection. Wheezing sounds while breathing and bronchiolitis (chest infection) may also be reported by patients. This can further progress to pneumonia.
Breathlessness (dyspnea), bluish discoloration of the skin and lips (cyanosis), and low oxygen levels (hypoxia) are other signs and symptoms experienced by people in serious conditions.
How to Diagnose a Bocavirus Infection?
Healthcare professionals usually diagnose bocavirus infection by carrying out polymerase chain reaction tests (PCR) in nose or throat specimens, coughed-up phlegm, or in stool specimens. Mostly, it is done for research purposes only by healthcare researchers.
Polymerain chain reaction testing for viruses in respiratory secretions is not easily available in clinics or even in well-equipped hospitals. These tests are extremely sensitive and costly. Therefore, healthcare professionals usually do not order PCR testing except in serious life-threatening conditions where the diagnosis is unclear.
What Is the Treatment for a Bocavirus Infection?
The treatment for bocavirus infection is usually supportive at this particular time. No known antiviral treatment is helpful for this viral infection to date. Over-the-counter drugs and medicines may be used by the patients to lower fever and treat sore throat. A healthcare professional may usually suggest drinking lots of fluids, taking plenty of rest, and preventing the disease from spreading by staying in an isolated room until the symptoms disappear. There are no home remedies to treat bocavirus infection. Only over-the-counter medicines and supportive therapy is available to date.
How Long a Bocavirus Infection Can Last?
Not enough information is available on bocavirus by scientific researchers to determine how long the infection can last in human beings. It is usually seen that the symptoms can last for almost a week. It may also last for as long as a typical pneumococcal viral infection usually lasts. In some cases, the infection may last for several weeks also.
What Is the Prognosis of Bocavirus Infection?
The prognosis is mostly good for most bocavirus infections in humans. However, people with a poor or weak immune response or suffering from chronic lung diseases can develop complications from the bocavirus.
How to Prevent a Bocavirus Infection?
Young children that are exposed to group childcare have a high chance of acquiring the viral infection. Therefore, it is difficult to prevent the transmission of the virus in these children. Good personal hygiene along with clean surroundings helps to limit the spread of bocavirus in infants, young children, and adults. The children should be taught to sneeze or cough into a tissue or handkerchief. They should also be instructed to frequently use hand sanitizer and wash their hands using handwash once they come home. The eating and drinking utensils should not be shared in group meetings.
Conclusion
Bocavirus is a newly discovered viral infection commonly found in young children and can cause respiratory tract or gastrointestinal infections. The infection usually spread through coughing or sneezing. There is no proper treatment for the infection. Only supportive care is available. In rare cases, the infectious disease can become fatal. So it is important to consult a physician as soon as you develop the infection. Various measures need to be taken to prevent the disease from spreading in young children. More research is required to establish proper diagnostic and treatment aids for this viral infection.
