Detection of respiratory viruses by molecular methods, in children without respiratory symptoms undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), has not been well described. A prospective study of 33 asymptomatic children detected respiratory viruses in 8 of 33 (24%) patients before HCT. Human rhinovirus (HRV) was detected in five patients, and human adenovirus (hADV) in three patients. Two additional patients shed HRV, and one shed human coronavirus (hCoV), post-HCT. Two patients had co-infections. Of the 11 asymptomatic patients where respiratory virus was detected, 3 (27%) later developed an upper respiratory tract infection, from the same virus.
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