Summary: | <i>Kingella kingae</i> (<i>K. kingae</i>) is an oropharyngeal commensal agent of toddlers and the primary cause of osteoarticular infections in 6–23-month-old children. Knowing that the oropharynx of young children is the reservoir and the portal of entry of <i>K. kingae</i>, these results suggested that a viral infection may promote <i>K. kingae</i> infection. In this narrative review, we report the current knowledge of the concomitance between <i>K. kingae</i> and viral infections. This hypothesis was first suggested because some authors described that symptoms of viral infections were frequently concomitant with <i>K. kingae</i> infection. Second, specific viral syndromes, such as hand, foot and mouth disease or stomatitis, have been described in children experiencing a <i>K. kingae</i> infection. Moreover, some clusters of <i>K. kingae</i> infection occurring in daycare centers were preceded by viral outbreaks. Third, the major viruses identified in patients during <i>K. kingae</i> infection were human rhinovirus or coxsackievirus, which both belong to the Picornaviridae family and are known to facilitate bacterial infections. Finally, a temporal association was observed between human rhinovirus circulation and <i>K. kingae</i> infection. Although highly probable, the role of viral infection in the <i>K. kingae</i> pathophysiology remains unclear and is based on case description or temporal association. Molecular studies are needed.
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