Highlights:
- Researchers at the University of São Paulo identified a potential reason behind frequent colds in children.
- The rhinovirus may remain hidden in the tonsils and adenoids without causing symptoms.
- The virus can enter a latent state within immune cells, allowing long-term persistence.
- Lymphatic tissues may help the virus evade immune detection and resist full elimination.
- Study analyzed 293 children undergoing tonsil or adenoid removal; 46% carried the virus despite no symptoms.
- Findings may explain repeated asthma flare-ups and middle ear infections in children.
- Researchers stress that further studies are needed to understand how the virus reactivates.
Brasilia: A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil has revealed a possible explanation for the recurrence of colds in children. The study suggests that the rhinovirus, the primary cause of the common cold, may hide within the tonsils and adenoids without exhibiting any obvious symptoms.
The study said that the virus may enter a latent state within the immune cells of these tissues, rather than remaining in the superficial layers of the nose and throat as previously thought. This allows it to persist for extended periods without causing symptoms.
The researchers added that the lymphatic tissue in the tonsils and adenoids may provide a suitable environment for the virus to persist within some immune cells, enabling it to evade immune detection and making complete eradication difficult.
The study analyzed samples from 293 children who underwent tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy. The virus was found in approximately 46 percent of these children, despite the absence of any symptoms at the time of surgery.
The findings suggest that the virus’s prolonged persistence within certain immune cells may help explain the recurrence of asthma attacks and middle ear infections in children.
The researchers emphasized that these results still require further investigation to clarify the mechanisms by which the virus survives within lymphoid tissues and its potential role in reactivating infections in certain conditions, such as weakened immunity.
Source: QNA | Photo: Illustration Purpose Only