Multicenter surveillance study of lower respiratory tract infections

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs), defined as clinician-confirmed or radiologically confirmed pneumonia or bronchiolitis, are a leading infectious cause of illness and death leading to a substantial disease burden worldwide. Various bacteria, viruses, and fungi are responsible for LRIs, with viruses as major pathogens. Although intensive etiological investigations have been conducted, the causative agents remain unknown in a considerable proportion of LRIs. We have discovered a previously unrecognized virus through meta-transcriptomic sequencing from sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and oropharyngeal swab samples of 15 epidemiologically unrelated patients with LRIs based on an etiological surveillance project at Beijing metropolis, China.