Summary:
Paramyxovirus is an RNA virus that is responsible for the respiratory diseases parainfluenza, pneumonia, croup, and bronchiolitis. For these diseases, Paramyxoviridae is the main family that the virus falls under, and the binomial name is Paramyxovirus parainfluenza. P. parainfluenza can cause mild or severe upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Parainfluenza is divided into types 1-4 and infections are mainly found in children, but can also be found in adults.
Facts:
| Formal binomial name of microbe: | Paramyxovirus parainfluenza |
| Gram stain (gram positive, gram negative or neither): | gram-negative |
| Is the microbe mobile or immobile? | immobile – must attach to host |
| Primary habitat? (Where is the organism normally found or prefer to live?) | in the ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory mucosa |
| Can the organism infect humans? | yes – mainly humans |
| Can the organism infect other species? If so, which ones. | yes – most animals |
| Documented cases of antimicrobial resistance? | yes- there is no cure and/or treatment for paramyxovirus |
| Number of infections per year in the US | between 500,000 and 800,000 in people 18 years old and younger |
| Number of infections per year in the world | unknown |
Different Types:
Types 1-3: These types of Paramyxovirus are most common in hospitals and child care centers. They are transmitted in large droplets in the air as well as by direct contact with a person who is infected. A person with this illness is contagious from anywhere from 2 days to 10 days after they become infected. Types 1 and 2 are most prominent in the winter months, while type 3 is big throughout the year.
Type 4: Type 4 usually causes mild symptoms in adults and children, but can be severe in infants. This type contains different antigens and won’t be talked about much in this article.
Symptoms:
Someone with paramyxovirus normally takes about 2-7 days to start showing symptoms associated with it. It normally starts in the nose and throat. It infects the ciliated epithelial cells and may eventually travel to the sinuses, middle ear, and upper respiratory tract. Symptoms such as a barking cough, labored breathing, hoarseness, wheezing, red eyes, fever, vomiting, a lack of appetite, and diarrhea are common in those who develop parainfluenza, although it may vary from person to person.
Prevention & Treatments:
There is currently no way, such as a vaccine, to protect against paramyxoviruses. Despite this, things such as washing your hands thoroughly and often, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding being near sick people are a few things that a person can do to to prevent becoming infected. If a person does get infected, they will usually recover on their own once the virus has run its course, however taking over-the-counter pain and fever medications (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen) and using a room humidifier may help.
Pictures:
News Articles:
Phase 2 Trial Evaluates DAS181 for Parainfluenza Virus in Immunocompromised Patients. Roy Chemaly, MD, a professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is doing a trial using DAS181, a sialidase fusion protein, on immunocompromised patients with Parainfluenza. 110 patients were selected at random and half were given the protein, half were given a placebo for 10 days. After 45 days, clinical stability was achieved by 39.2% of the patients being given DAS181 and 31.4% of the patients being given the placebo. Dr. Chemaly was not satisfied with the results of the study but was quoted as saying “we learned a lot from this trial”.
Flu Not the Only Illness to Worry About This Winter, With Croup and Pneumonia Also on Rise. In Australia, croup infections are on the rise. In the last year, cases of croup in children have risen 15% from the previous year. Dr. Robert Booy says that it may be that both normal influenza, as well as parainfluenza are leading to croup. Making sure yourself and your children are vaccinated is a good way to prevent the flu, pneumonia, and croup.
Some People Are Sick With a Cough That Lasts Weeks: But What is Causing It?. Parainfluenza viruses are causing people to have a cough that lasts up to 4-6 weeks long. This is mainly found in children, but according to this article, that is because children are regularly tested for parainfluenza, while adults are not. If a person has parainfluenza, the only thing to do is to let it run its course, as there is no cure for it.
References:
“Human Parainfluenza Viruses (HPIVs)”; cdc.gov; https://www.cdc.gov/parainfluenza/index.html
“Parainfluenza Viral Infections”; healthychildren.org; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/Parainfluenza-Viral-Infections.aspx
“Parainfluenza Viruses”; ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC153148/
“Paramyxovirus”; web.stanford.edu; http://web.stanford.edu/group/virus/paramyxo/2005/index.htm#taxonomy
“Paramyxoviruses”; ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8461/