CHINA has reported six cases of human bocavirus in children, the first infections in the country linked to the newly identified virus, Xinhua said Tuesday (Aug 22).

Six of 72 phlegm samples taken from children in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, since October have tested positive, Xinhua said.

It did not give any details about the cases, except that the samples were taken from infants one year old or younger.

Human bocavirus has been found in respiratory secretions of children with lower respiratory tract infections, according to findings presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in March.

It was first reported in Sweden in September 2005 and very little is known about the infection and its roots.

Human bocavirus has been found in nearly 5 percent of pneumonia patients in rural Thailand, most of whom are young children, the researchers said. Cases have also been identified in children with respiratory tract infections in Australia and Japan.

The conference included researchers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and the World Health Organization.

Editor: Wing