Human Rhinovirus Molecular Epidemiology and Genotyping in Iranian Military Trainees with Acute Respiratory Symptoms

Background: Human rhinovirus (HRV) is still the most prevalent viral infection in humans and a significant cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in many communities, including military personnel undergoing basic training. Objectives: In this research, we assessed the molecular epidemiology, genotyping, and phylogenetic classification of HRVs in Iranian military trainees with respiratory infections (RI). Methods: For HRV identification and genotyping, respiratory specimens were obtained, and RT-PCR was conducted for genotyping and phylogenetic analysis of HRV utilizing primers for the 5-UTR region. Results: Among 400 Iranian military trainees (average age of 21 ± 4 years, the range of 18 - 57 years) with respiratory infections, HRV was detected in 29 patients (7%) using RT-PCR. The direct sequencing of PCR products from 10 specimens showed that the incidence of type A (n = 5, 50%) was higher than that of type B (n = 4, 40%) and type C (n = 1, 10%). There were no significant associations between HRV and respiratory and clinical symptoms, blood group, and indoor or outdoor conditions (P-value > 0.05). Conclusions: This research was the first to record HRV as a significant cause of respiratory problems among military trainees in Iran, with a frequency of 7%. The most prevalent genotype was HRV-A, which may be applicable in epidemiological and clinical studies, as well as vaccination plans.