To the Editor: Two novel polyomaviruses (PyVs), KIPyV and WUPyV, were identifi ed in respiratory and fecal specimens from children with signs and symptoms of respiratory tract infection (1,2). A review of literature on emerging viruses in transplant recipients indicated that up to 80% of patients harboring these PyVs are co-infected with another respiratory virus, complicating interpretation of positive fi ndings (3). Seroprevalence of KIPyV and WUPyV in healthy blood donors in Germany have been reported to be 67% and 89%, respectively (4).The effect of these viruses in immunocompromised patients is unknown. Some studies report a higher frequency of KIPyV DNA detection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients (5–7) than in immunocompetent patients. In fact, HCST recipients might be more prone to productive infection with KIPyV and WUPyV than to infection with PyVs JC and BK (BKPyV) (5).We report prolonged detection of KIPyV DNA in the respiratory tract of an immunocompromised child. A 12-year-old girl with severe combined immunodefi ciency was admitted to the Freiburg University Medical Center, Germany, in November 2009 for treatment of progressive respiratory problems and cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. Although the molecular basis of the immune disorder was unknown, HSCT was indicated because of uncontrolled CMV infection and progressive clinical deterioration
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