Unexpected predominance of human adenovirus F41 in children suffering from acute respiratory infection in Tunisia

Aim: To evaluate human adenovirus (HAdV) types associated with respiratory infections, nasopharyngeal aspirations (NPA) were collected from children under 2 years old that were hospitalized for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) during 2018–2019. Methods: PCR was used for viral screening and select samples were then sequenced by Sanger sequencing. Results: Among 194 samples, 30 were HAdV-positive and 14 were chosen for further sequencing. HAdV-F41, C2 and C5 circulated simultaneously with an unexpected predominance of HAdV-F41. HAdV infection occurred year-round, with a peak in winter and early spring. The age group most affected was those younger than 6 months. Conclusion: Continued surveillance of HAdV infections is necessary and the contribution of HAdV-F41 in ARTI should be studied.