Rhinovirus Infection

Infectious Disease MONDO:0005709 Show in embeddings browser Viral Respiratory Infection

Rhinovirus infection is an acute respiratory infection caused by human rhinoviruses (HRV; genus Enterovirus, family Picornaviridae; groups A, B, and C). HRV is the most common cause of the common cold, responsible for more than half of cold-like illnesses, and infects the respiratory epithelium after binding host receptors (major-group HRV uses ICAM-1; minor-group uses LDL- receptor family members; HRV-C uses CDHR3). Although traditionally regarded as an upper respiratory tract pathogen, HRV is now recognized as an important lower respiratory tract pathogen, particularly in people with asthma, infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised hosts. Wheezing rhinovirus illnesses in early life are among the strongest predictors of subsequent childhood asthma, and HRV is the most frequent viral trigger of asthma and COPD exacerbations.

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1
Pathophys.
5
Phenotypes
1
Medical Actions
3
Datasets
C

Comorbidities

Rhinovirus Infection <-> Asthma
Disease A A_BEFORE_B CURATED
⚙

Pathophysiology

1
Airway Epithelial Infection and Innate Immune Response
Rhinovirus binds receptors on respiratory epithelial cells and replicates in the airway epithelium. Although cytopathic effect is modest, infection triggers a vigorous innate immune and inflammatory response — release of chemokines and cytokines that recruit inflammatory cells — which produces much of the symptomatic illness (rhinorrhea, congestion, cough). In people with asthma, impaired epithelial antiviral (interferon) responses and a type 2-skewed airway predispose to lower-airway involvement and exacerbations.
respiratory epithelial cell CL:0002632 Cell Ontology (CL) Relation: this pathophysiological event involves this cell type This pathophysiological event involves respiratory epithelial cell, annotated with epithelial cell of lower respiratory tract (CL:0002632). CL:0002632 is a cell type from the Cell Ontology. bronchial epithelial cell CL:0002328 Cell Ontology (CL) Relation: this pathophysiological event involves this cell type This pathophysiological event involves bronchial epithelial cell (CL:0002328). CL:0002328 is a cell type from the Cell Ontology.
viral genome replication GO:0019079 Gene Ontology (GO) Relation: this pathophysiological event involves this biological process This pathophysiological event involves viral genome replication (GO:0019079). GO:0019079 is a biological process from the Gene Ontology. defense response to virus GO:0051607 Gene Ontology (GO) Relation: this pathophysiological event involves this biological process This pathophysiological event involves defense response to virus (GO:0051607). GO:0051607 is a biological process from the Gene Ontology. inflammatory response GO:0006954 Gene Ontology (GO) Relation: this pathophysiological event involves this biological process This pathophysiological event involves increased inflammatory response (GO:0006954). GO:0006954 is a biological process from the Gene Ontology. ↑ INCREASED
nasal cavity UBERON:0001707 Uberon multi-species anatomy ontology (UBERON) Relation: this pathophysiological event occurs in this anatomical location This pathophysiological event occurs in nasal cavity (UBERON:0001707). UBERON:0001707 is an anatomical location from the Uberon multi-species anatomy ontology. respiratory system UBERON:0001004 Uberon multi-species anatomy ontology (UBERON) Relation: this pathophysiological event occurs in this anatomical location This pathophysiological event occurs in respiratory system (UBERON:0001004). UBERON:0001004 is an anatomical location from the Uberon multi-species anatomy ontology.
Show evidence (2 references)
PMID:23297263 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Human rhinoviruses (HRVs), first discovered in the 1950s, are responsible for more than one-half of cold-like illnesses and cost billions of dollars annually in medical visits and missed days of work."
Establishes HRV as the predominant cause of common-cold illnesses with major economic burden.
PMID:23297263 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"the increasing implementation of PCR assays for respiratory virus detection in clinical laboratories has facilitated the recognition of HRV as a lower respiratory tract pathogen, particularly in patients with asthma, infants, elderly patients, and immunocompromised hosts."
Supports HRV as a lower respiratory tract pathogen with particular impact in asthma, infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised hosts.
●

Phenotypes

5
Head and Neck 1
Nasal congestion HP:0001742 Human Phenotype Ontology (HP) Relation: this clinical feature is this phenotype This clinical feature is Nasal congestion (HP:0001742). HP:0001742 is a phenotype from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Respiratory 3
Rhinorrhea HP:0031417 Human Phenotype Ontology (HP) Relation: this clinical feature is this phenotype This clinical feature is Rhinorrhea (HP:0031417). HP:0031417 is a phenotype from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Cough HP:0012735 Human Phenotype Ontology (HP) Relation: this clinical feature is this phenotype This clinical feature is Cough (HP:0012735). HP:0012735 is a phenotype from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Wheezing HP:0030828 Human Phenotype Ontology (HP) Relation: this clinical feature is this phenotype This clinical feature is Wheezing (HP:0030828). HP:0030828 is a phenotype from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Other 1
Sneezing Sneeze HP:0025095 Human Phenotype Ontology (HP) Relation: this clinical feature is this phenotype This clinical feature is Sneezing, annotated with Sneeze (HP:0025095). HP:0025095 is a phenotype from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
💊

Medical Actions

1
Supportive Care
Action: Supportive CareNCI Thesaurus (NCIT) Relation: this treatment is this clinical intervention This treatment is Supportive Care (NCIT:C15747). NCIT:C15747 is a clinical intervention from the NCI Thesaurus. NCIT:C15747
No approved antiviral therapy exists for HRV; management is supportive (symptomatic relief, hydration), with attention to treating asthma/COPD exacerbations that HRV can trigger.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:23297263 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"There are currently no approved antiviral therapies for HRVs, and treatment remains primarily supportive."
Confirms that no approved HRV antiviral exists and care is primarily supportive.
🦠

Infectious Agent

3
Rhinovirus A
Human rhinovirus group A, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA picornavirus; most group A and B serotypes are major-group viruses using ICAM-1 for entry.
Rhinovirus A NCBITaxon:147711 NCBI Taxonomy (NCBITaxon)
Rhinovirus B
Human rhinovirus group B; like group A, most B-group serotypes are major-group viruses that use ICAM-1 for cell entry. Less commonly implicated in severe lower respiratory illness than groups A and C.
Rhinovirus B NCBITaxon:147712 NCBI Taxonomy (NCBITaxon)
Rhinovirus C
Human rhinovirus group C, which uses cadherin-related family member 3 (CDHR3) for cell entry and is associated with more severe lower respiratory illness and asthma exacerbations in children.
Rhinovirus C NCBITaxon:463676 NCBI Taxonomy (NCBITaxon)
📊

Related Datasets

3
RHINOVIRUS INFECTION OF THE AIRWAY EPITHELIUM ENHANCES MAST CELL IMMUNE RESPONSES VIA EPITHELIAL-DERIVED INTERFERONS geo:GSE206680
Rationale: Mast cells (MCs) within the airway epithelium in asthma are closely related to airway dysfunction, but crosstalk between airway epithelial cells (AECs) and MCs in asthma remains incompletely understood. Human rhinovirus (HRV) infections are key triggers for asthma progression and AECs from individuals with asthma may have dysregulated anti-viral responses. Objectives: We utilize primary phenotyped AECs in an ex vivo coculture model system to examine crosstalk between AECs and MCs following epithelial HRV infection.
human BULK RNA SEQ n=123
PMID:36708815
Identified by GEO DataSets index search for Rhinovirus Infection (scripts/discover_datasets.py); accession and metadata verified against NCBI E-utilities on 2026-08-01. Title, sample count, and organism are GEO's own values.
Acute rhinovirus infection induces extensive antiviral and B cell receptor gene expression in B cells from asthmatics geo:GSE118875
B cells of asthmatic patients have dysregulated expression of inflammatory cytokine, B cell receptor and antiviral genes at a steady-state. During experimental in vivo infection of human subjects with rhinovirus, interferon-induced antiviral response is exaggerated in B cells in asthmatic patients.
human BULK RNA SEQ n=61
PMID:34169553
Identified by GEO DataSets index search for Rhinovirus Infection (scripts/discover_datasets.py); accession and metadata verified against NCBI E-utilities on 2026-08-01. Title, sample count, and organism are GEO's own values.
RNA sequencing of primary bronchial airway epithelial cells from young children with and without CF, including those with and without rhinovirus infection in vitro geo:GSE138167
Early life viral infections are responsible for pulmonary exacerbations that can contribute to disease progression in young children with CF. The most common respiratory viruses detected in the CF airway are human rhinoviruses (RV) and susceptibility to infection has been attributed to dysregulated airway epithelial responses, although evidence has been conflicting. Here, we exposed airway epithelial cells from children with and without CF to RV in vitro. Using RNA-Seq, we profiled the transcriptomic differences of CF and non-CF airway epithelial cells at baseline and in response to RV. There were only modest differences between CF and non-CF cells at baseline.
human BULK RNA SEQ n=24
PMID:32765492
Identified by GEO DataSets index search for Rhinovirus Infection (scripts/discover_datasets.py); accession and metadata verified against NCBI E-utilities on 2026-08-01. Title, sample count, and organism are GEO's own values.
{ }

Source YAML

click to show 
name: Rhinovirus Infection
creation_date: "2026-06-25T12:00:00Z"
description: >
  Rhinovirus infection is an acute respiratory infection caused by human
  rhinoviruses (HRV; genus Enterovirus, family Picornaviridae; groups A, B, and
  C). HRV is the most common cause of the common cold, responsible for more than
  half of cold-like illnesses, and infects the respiratory epithelium after
  binding host receptors (major-group HRV uses ICAM-1; minor-group uses LDL-
  receptor family members; HRV-C uses CDHR3). Although traditionally regarded as
  an upper respiratory tract pathogen, HRV is now recognized as an important
  lower respiratory tract pathogen, particularly in people with asthma, infants,
  the elderly, and immunocompromised hosts. Wheezing rhinovirus illnesses in
  early life are among the strongest predictors of subsequent childhood asthma,
  and HRV is the most frequent viral trigger of asthma and COPD exacerbations.
category: Infectious Disease
parents:
- Viral Respiratory Infection
synonyms:
- Human rhinovirus infection
- HRV infection
- Common cold (rhinoviral)
disease_term:
  preferred_term: rhinovirus infection
  term:
    id: MONDO:0005709
    label: common cold
infectious_agent:
- name: Rhinovirus A
  infectious_agent_term:
    preferred_term: Rhinovirus A
    term:
      id: NCBITaxon:147711
      label: Rhinovirus A
  description: >
    Human rhinovirus group A, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA picornavirus;
    most group A and B serotypes are major-group viruses using ICAM-1 for entry.
- name: Rhinovirus B
  infectious_agent_term:
    preferred_term: Rhinovirus B
    term:
      id: NCBITaxon:147712
      label: Rhinovirus B
  description: >
    Human rhinovirus group B; like group A, most B-group serotypes are
    major-group viruses that use ICAM-1 for cell entry. Less commonly
    implicated in severe lower respiratory illness than groups A and C.
- name: Rhinovirus C
  infectious_agent_term:
    preferred_term: Rhinovirus C
    term:
      id: NCBITaxon:463676
      label: Rhinovirus C
  description: >
    Human rhinovirus group C, which uses cadherin-related family member 3
    (CDHR3) for cell entry and is associated with more severe lower
    respiratory illness and asthma exacerbations in children.
pathophysiology:
- name: Airway Epithelial Infection and Innate Immune Response
  conforms_to: "innate_antiviral_interferon_response#Interferon-Stimulated Gene Antiviral State"
  description: >
    Rhinovirus binds receptors on respiratory epithelial cells and replicates in
    the airway epithelium. Although cytopathic effect is modest, infection
    triggers a vigorous innate immune and inflammatory response — release of
    chemokines and cytokines that recruit inflammatory cells — which produces
    much of the symptomatic illness (rhinorrhea, congestion, cough). In people
    with asthma, impaired epithelial antiviral (interferon) responses and a
    type 2-skewed airway predispose to lower-airway involvement and
    exacerbations.
  cell_types:
  - preferred_term: respiratory epithelial cell
    term:
      id: CL:0002632
      label: epithelial cell of lower respiratory tract
  - preferred_term: bronchial epithelial cell
    term:
      id: CL:0002328
      label: bronchial epithelial cell
  biological_processes:
  - preferred_term: viral genome replication
    term:
      id: GO:0019079
      label: viral genome replication
  - preferred_term: defense response to virus
    term:
      id: GO:0051607
      label: defense response to virus
  - preferred_term: inflammatory response
    term:
      id: GO:0006954
      label: inflammatory response
    modifier: INCREASED
  locations:
  - preferred_term: nasal cavity
    term:
      id: UBERON:0001707
      label: nasal cavity
  - preferred_term: respiratory system
    term:
      id: UBERON:0001004
      label: respiratory system
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:23297263
    reference_title: "Human rhinoviruses."
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: "Human rhinoviruses (HRVs), first discovered in the 1950s, are responsible for more than one-half of cold-like illnesses and cost billions of dollars annually in medical visits and missed days of work."
    explanation: Establishes HRV as the predominant cause of common-cold illnesses with major economic burden.
  - reference: PMID:23297263
    reference_title: "Human rhinoviruses."
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: "the increasing implementation of PCR assays for respiratory virus detection in clinical laboratories has facilitated the recognition of HRV as a lower respiratory tract pathogen, particularly in patients with asthma, infants, elderly patients, and immunocompromised hosts."
    explanation: Supports HRV as a lower respiratory tract pathogen with particular impact in asthma, infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised hosts.
phenotypes:
- category: Respiratory
  name: Rhinorrhea
  description: Runny nose, a hallmark of the common cold.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Rhinorrhea
    term:
      id: HP:0031417
      label: Rhinorrhea
- category: Respiratory
  name: Nasal congestion
  description: Nasal obstruction from mucosal inflammation.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Nasal congestion
    term:
      id: HP:0001742
      label: Nasal congestion
- category: Respiratory
  name: Cough
  description: Common with both upper and lower airway involvement.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Cough
    term:
      id: HP:0012735
      label: Cough
- category: Respiratory
  name: Wheezing
  description: Lower-airway involvement, especially in infants and people with asthma.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Wheezing
    term:
      id: HP:0030828
      label: Wheezing
- category: Respiratory
  name: Sneezing
  description: Common upper respiratory symptom.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Sneezing
    term:
      id: HP:0025095
      label: Sneeze
treatments:
- name: Supportive Care
  description: >
    No approved antiviral therapy exists for HRV; management is supportive
    (symptomatic relief, hydration), with attention to treating asthma/COPD
    exacerbations that HRV can trigger.
  treatment_term:
    preferred_term: Supportive Care
    term:
      id: NCIT:C15747
      label: Supportive Care
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:23297263
    reference_title: "Human rhinoviruses."
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: "There are currently no approved antiviral therapies for HRVs, and treatment remains primarily supportive."
    explanation: Confirms that no approved HRV antiviral exists and care is primarily supportive.
notes: >
  Created as an endpoint entry to support directional comorbidity/trajectory
  modeling of early-life rhinovirus wheezing illness as a predictor of
  childhood asthma inception (see Asthma.yaml and the corresponding
  comorbidity entry). MONDO lacks a rhinovirus-specific disease term, so the
  closest term (common cold, MONDO:0005709) is used with a more specific
  preferred_term.
datasets:
- accession: geo:GSE206680
  title: RHINOVIRUS INFECTION OF THE AIRWAY EPITHELIUM ENHANCES MAST CELL IMMUNE RESPONSES VIA EPITHELIAL-DERIVED INTERFERONS
  description: 'Rationale: Mast cells (MCs) within the airway epithelium in asthma are closely related to airway dysfunction, but crosstalk between airway epithelial cells (AECs) and MCs in asthma remains incompletely understood. Human rhinovirus (HRV) infections are key triggers for asthma progression and AECs from individuals with asthma may have dysregulated anti-viral responses. Objectives: We utilize primary phenotyped AECs in an ex vivo coculture model system to examine crosstalk between AECs and MCs following epithelial HRV infection.'
  organism:
    preferred_term: human
    term:
      id: NCBITaxon:9606
      label: Homo sapiens
  data_type: BULK_RNA_SEQ
  sample_count: 123
  publication: PMID:36708815
  notes: Identified by GEO DataSets index search for Rhinovirus Infection (scripts/discover_datasets.py); accession and metadata verified against NCBI E-utilities on 2026-08-01. Title, sample count, and organism are GEO's own values.
- accession: geo:GSE118875
  title: Acute rhinovirus infection induces extensive antiviral and B cell receptor gene expression in B cells from asthmatics
  description: B cells of asthmatic patients have dysregulated expression of inflammatory cytokine, B cell receptor and antiviral genes at a steady-state. During experimental in vivo infection of human subjects with rhinovirus, interferon-induced antiviral response is exaggerated in B cells in asthmatic patients.
  organism:
    preferred_term: human
    term:
      id: NCBITaxon:9606
      label: Homo sapiens
  data_type: BULK_RNA_SEQ
  sample_count: 61
  publication: PMID:34169553
  notes: Identified by GEO DataSets index search for Rhinovirus Infection (scripts/discover_datasets.py); accession and metadata verified against NCBI E-utilities on 2026-08-01. Title, sample count, and organism are GEO's own values.
- accession: geo:GSE138167
  title: RNA sequencing of primary bronchial airway epithelial cells from young children with and without CF, including those with and without rhinovirus infection in vitro
  description: Early life viral infections are responsible for pulmonary exacerbations that can contribute to disease progression in young children with CF. The most common respiratory viruses detected in the CF airway are human rhinoviruses (RV) and susceptibility to infection has been attributed to dysregulated airway epithelial responses, although evidence has been conflicting. Here, we exposed airway epithelial cells from children with and without CF to RV in vitro. Using RNA-Seq, we profiled the transcriptomic differences of CF and non-CF airway epithelial cells at baseline and in response to RV. There were only modest differences between CF and non-CF cells at baseline.
  organism:
    preferred_term: human
    term:
      id: NCBITaxon:9606
      label: Homo sapiens
  data_type: BULK_RNA_SEQ
  sample_count: 24
  publication: PMID:32765492
  notes: Identified by GEO DataSets index search for Rhinovirus Infection (scripts/discover_datasets.py); accession and metadata verified against NCBI E-utilities on 2026-08-01. Title, sample count, and organism are GEO's own values.