Rhinovirus Infection

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.