Viral Pneumonia in Adults.
Clin Infect Dis. 2012 Mar 15;
Authors: Cesario TC
Abstract
Viral pneumonia, which is typically associated with disease in childhood, is increasingly recognized as causing problems in adults. Certain viruses like influenza can attack fully immunocompetent adults but many viruses take advantage of more vulnerable patients. The latter include patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy and elderly subjects, particularly those residing in long-term care facilities. The range of viruses producing pneumonia in adults includes common agents like varicella and influenza as well as respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, adenoviruses, picornaviruses and coronaviruses. The roles played by other agents in pneumonia are still the topic of study and these include rhinoviruses and bocaviruses. While therapy for most of theses agents, at least in adults, has not yet been fully clarified, it is reasonable to assume antivirals may work in certain situations if they are introduced early enough in the course of infection.
PMID: 22423119 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]