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Human metapneumovirus treated with inhaled ribavirin: A case report
Monica Khunger1, Ellen F. Eaton2, Craig Hoesley3
1MBBS, All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
2MD, Fellow, Division of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
3MD, Professor, Division of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

doi:10.5348/ijcri-2014139-CR-10450

Address correspondence to:
Craig J. Hoesley
MD, Professor, Division of Infectious Disease
University of Alabam
Birmingham
Email: choesley@uab.edu

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How to cite this article
Khunger M, Eaton EF, Hoesley C. Human metapneumovirus treated with inhaled ribavirin: A case report. Int J Case Rep Images 2014;5(12):813– 817.


Abstract
Introduction: Human metapneumovirus is a new pulmonary pathogen in the Paramyxoviridae family. It is increasingly associated with respiratory illnesses particularly in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of a multiple myeloma patient diagnosed with human metapneumovirus pneumonia and successfully treated with inhaled ribavirin.
Case Report: A 56-year-old white female previously diagnosed with multiple myeloma presented with fever, non-productive cough, dyspnea and new onset ground glass opacities on computed tomography scan. Human metapneumovirus was detected in bronchoalveolar lavage specimen with direct fluorescent antibody testing. Marked clinical improvement was observed following a five-day course of inhaled ribavirin.
Conclusion: Human metapneumovirus can cause community acquired pneumonia in immunocompromised patients presenting with lower respiratory tract illness. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in this population. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with inhaled ribavirin may improve outcomes in immunocompromised patients.

Keywords: Bone marrow transplant, Human metapneumovirus, Immunocompromised, Ribavirin


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Author Contributions
Monica Khunger – Data acquisition, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of the manuscript, Final approval of the version to be published
Ellen F. Eaton – Data acquisition, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of the manuscript; Final approval of the version to be published
Craig Hoesley – Case report concept and design, Analysis and interpretation of data, Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, Administrative, technical, or material support; case report supervision, Final approval of the version to be published
Guarantor of submission
The corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of support
None
Conflict of interest
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright
© 2014 Monica Khunger et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.