Rhinovirus is a leading cause of the common cold and wheezing illnesses in young children and individuals with asthma. There are three species of rhinoviruses (A, B, and C), and the C viruses are often more likely to cause wheezing illnesses, especially in young children. Unfortunately, there are no treatments for these respiratory viruses.

To learn more about how age and other personal factors influence susceptibility to getting rhinovirus illnesses, ECHO researchers Timothy Choi, MS; James Gern, MD; and Yury Bochkov, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health conducted a multi-year study with more than 4,000 children. This research, titled “Enhanced Neutralizing Antibody Responses to Rhinovirus C and Age-Dependent Patterns of Infection,” is now featured in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Children ages zero to 19 with illnesses of varying severity participated in 14 independent studies in the United States, Finland, and Australia. Between 2000 and 2019, each site collected and analyzed nasal samples for rhinovirus species and type. The investigators then tested whether characteristics such as age, gender, and race influenced which viruses were found.

“Our research shows that as children age, they are less likely to be infected with rhinovirus C,” said Choi. “This could be because the immune system has a stronger protective response to infection with rhinovirus C species compared to other species.” Other personal factors related to more frequent infections include wheezing respiratory illnesses and a genetic difference in a protein used by the viruses to enter cells.

The results of this study could help identify children at high risk for developing more severe illnesses with rhinovirus C based on young age and genetics. In addition, analyses of more than 10,000 mucus specimens identified viruses that were consistently more common and those more likely to be associated with illness.

“In the future, we want to focus on studying the magnitude and duration of immunity to rhinovirus C to determine why these viruses are able to produce such a strong immune response, and why rhinovirus C infections naturally decline with age,” said Dr. Gern. “This information may help researchers design a practical vaccine against rhinovirus C that could be used to protect high-risk children.”