A new respiratory virus has been identified via gene
amplification by the clinical studies center, a medical unit
established by the Wenling First People's Hospital in Zhejiang
Province and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences. The newly
identified "WU Polyomavirus" was found among 278 phlegm samples of
children infected by acute respiratory diseases. The virus has been
named CLFF. The US firm GenBank added the CLFF gene sequencing on
December 4 to its gene bank.
This achievement followed the discovery of HBoV in July of last
year by the center. The National Natural Science Foundation of
China gave accolades to the research group for this discovery.
Additionally, the research center has also invented a rapid and
accurate testing technique for gene amplification, allowing a gene
test to be completed in only one hour.
The WU Polyomavirus was first found among children's lower
respiratory tract secreta by scientists from the US and Australia
this May. This discovery, along with rapid testing techniques, are
significant for identifying pathogens of children's respiratory
diseases and improving treatment methods, according to experts with
the clinical studies center.
The causes of 10 to 39 percent of children's lower respiratory
tract diseases have not yet been identified, according to World
Health Organization (WHO) statistics. Currently seven new viruses
have been identified inside the human respiratory tract, including
hMPV, SARS Coronavirus, Coronavirus NL63, Coronavirus HKU1, HBoV,
K1Virus and WU Polyomavirus, said Tan Wenjie, a research fellow
with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China
CDC).
(China.org.cn by Yang Xi, December 26, 2007)