A new respiratory virus has been identified via gene amplification by the clinical studies center, a medical unit established by the Wenling First People's Hospital in Zhejiang Province and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences. The newly identified "WU Polyomavirus" was found among 278 phlegm samples of children infected by acute respiratory diseases. The virus has been named CLFF. The US firm GenBank added the CLFF gene sequencing on December 4 to its gene bank.

This achievement followed the discovery of HBoV in July of last year by the center. The National Natural Science Foundation of China gave accolades to the research group for this discovery.

Additionally, the research center has also invented a rapid and accurate testing technique for gene amplification, allowing a gene test to be completed in only one hour.

The WU Polyomavirus was first found among children's lower respiratory tract secreta by scientists from the US and Australia this May. This discovery, along with rapid testing techniques, are significant for identifying pathogens of children's respiratory diseases and improving treatment methods, according to experts with the clinical studies center.

The causes of 10 to 39 percent of children's lower respiratory tract diseases have not yet been identified, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. Currently seven new viruses have been identified inside the human respiratory tract, including hMPV, SARS Coronavirus, Coronavirus NL63, Coronavirus HKU1, HBoV, K1Virus and WU Polyomavirus, said Tan Wenjie, a research fellow with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).

(China.org.cn December 26, 2007)