The "culprit" of colds may be Mycoplasma pneumoniae or influenza virus, but most of them are caused by this - rhinovirus

As we enter the autumn and winter season, you may notice that many people around you begin to have symptoms of fever, cough and runny nose. They went to the hospital for a detailed examination and found that they were not infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae or influenza virus , but with a pathogen called rhinovirus .

So, what exactly is rhinovirus?

How do we determine whether we are infected with rhinovirus?

Next, let us take a look at it together.

Q1: What is rhinovirus?

Rhinovirus has a unique ability to adapt to the nasal environment, so the name rhinovirus also comes from its special adaptation to survive in the nasal cavity. As a small RNA virus, it has a rich "family members", and nearly 170 different identities have been identified so far. It divides itself into three major "groups" A, B, and C, and each "group" has many "offspring" - "Group A" has 80 descendants, "Group B" has 32, and "Group C" has reached 57. This "big head" in the virus world has now become the leader with the most serotypes among known human viruses. Its diversity enables it to frequently invade the human body in various guises, making it difficult to guard against. This is why some people have "encountered" it many times, causing repeated infections in humans.

Rhinovirus is the main pathogen that causes the common cold . Studies have shown that it is responsible for almost half of all common colds, and nearly half to two-thirds of common colds are caused by it. This "all-rounder" in the virus world is not only good at creating common cold symptoms, but can also cleverly cause other respiratory infections such as acute and chronic bronchitis. It is truly a "disease maker" that cannot be ignored.

Q2: In which season is it easy to be infected with rhinovirus? How is rhinovirus transmitted?

Rhinovirus infections occur year-round, with a seasonal peak during the cold weather months (September to May in the Northern Hemisphere).

There are two main ways that rhinoviruses are spread:

● Direct transmission: Mainly transmitted directly through droplets. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, the virus will spread into the air with the droplets, and other people may be infected after inhaling these droplets.

● Indirect transmission: Rhinovirus can survive for hours to days at indoor ambient temperature, and patients may be infected through contact with infected objects.

Q3: What symptoms will appear after rhinovirus infection?

Rhinovirus infection may be asymptomatic or may be accompanied by signs and symptoms similar to those of the common cold. Asymptomatic infection usually occurs in older children and adults.

When symptomatic infection occurs, clinical manifestations vary according to the patient's age, for example:

● Adults usually present with runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, and/or sore or itchy throat, usually without fever. Symptoms usually resolve within 5 to 7 days.

● Children more commonly present with cough, runny nose, and nasal congestion than adults and may initially present with fever. Children also have longer duration of symptoms and signs, with 70% of children still showing clinical signs on day 10.

In addition, in some cases, rhinovirus infection can lead to more serious problems, such as acute bronchitis and asthma. Sometimes it may also lead to complications such as sinusitis and otitis media, so we should not take rhinovirus infection too lightly.

Q4: What are the detection methods for rhinovirus?

● Nucleic acid testing: This method is simple, rapid, and highly sensitive, and is a commonly used detection method in clinical practice.

● Serum antibody test : The test detects antibodies in the serum to determine whether the patient is infected with rhinovirus. However, since rhinovirus has multiple serotypes, this method is limited and is mainly used in epidemiological studies.

● Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) : The ELISA method can detect rhinovirus antigens or antibodies and is suitable for samples such as nasal wash fluid. This method is easy to operate, but it takes a certain amount of time (about 48 hours), and due to the large number of rhinovirus serotypes, there is a problem of cross-reaction.

Q5: Is there any specific medicine for rhinovirus infection?

Rhinovirus infection is a self-limiting disease. There is still no specific antiviral drug to treat rhinovirus. It mainly relies on the body's immune system to recover, but most people can recover on their own without special treatment. This may also be the reason why many people often feel that sometimes taking medicine for a cold is ineffective and will naturally get better after a few days.

As for rhinovirus infection, we can do more to treat the symptoms. For patients with high fever, we can reduce the fever. For patients with cough and sore throat, they can take cough suppressants or undergo nebulization treatment. If the fever lasts for more than 3 days or the respiratory symptoms worsen, medical attention should be sought in time to prevent aggravation or combination of other viral infections.

【 Xiehe Medical Tips 】

As the most common "culprit" behind the common cold, rhinovirus, we should correctly know its characteristics, understand its transmission route and symptoms, and take appropriate preventive measures, such as washing hands frequently, wearing masks, and avoiding contact with infected people, which can effectively reduce the risk of infection. If you have severe cold symptoms, please seek medical attention in time and undergo relevant tests to get the correct diagnosis and treatment.

【References】
[1] EsneauC, DuffAC, BartlettNW. Understanding rhinovirus circulation and impact on illness[J]. Viruses, 2022, 14(1): 141.

[2] Jacobs SE, Lamson DM, St George K, et al. Human rhinoviruses[J]. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2013, 26(1):135-62.

[3] Gautret P, Benkouiten S, Al-Tawfiq J A. Hajj-associated viral respiratory infections: A systematic review[J]. Travel Med Infect Dis, 2016, 14(2):92-109.

[4]Ljubin-Sternak, S,Meštrovi´c, T. Rhinovirus—A True Respiratory Threat or a Common Inconvenience of Childhood? [J]. Viruses, 2023,15(4):825.

Editor: Liu Yang and Zhao Na

Proofread by Li Na and Li Yule

Producer: Peng Bin

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