Abstract
Human rhinoviruses (HRVs), members of the family Picornaviridae, were fi rst isolated in 1956 (1); to date, >100 serotypes have been identifi ed on the basis of nucleotide sequence homologies. HRVs were previously divided into 2 genetic groups, HRV-A (n = 75) and HRV-B (n = 25). Recently, a putative new and distinct rhinovirus group, HRV-C, has been reportedly found in some patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) (2–8). To extend these initial fi ndings and assess the pathogenicity of HRV-C, we investigated its prevalence as well as its clinical and molecular features in children with lower acute RTIs in Beijing, People’s Republic of China.