Human metapneumovirus in a haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient with fatal lower respiratory tract disease

Respiratory viruses are increasingly recognized as a cause of pneumonitis following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, frequently, no pathogen is identified in cases of suspected viral pneumonia. Recently, a previously undescribed paramyxovirus, designated 'human metapneumovirus' (hMPV), was isolated from children with respiratory illness. We have detected hMPV as the sole pathogen in the nasopharyngeal aspirate of an HSCT recipient who succumbed to progressive respiratory failure following an upper respiratory prodrome. This report highlights the importance of further studies to elucidate the role of hMPV in causing respiratory illnesses in the HSCT population.