The advent of broad-range molecular assays, including multiplex PCR and microarray systems, promises new insights into the epidemiology and pathogenesis of respiratory disease (8, 9) , given that a laboratory diagnosis is not routinely achieved for a substantial portion of respiratory specimens from symptomatic patients. We recently described the application of a multiplex PCR method for microbial surveillance wherein primers are attached to tags of varying mass that serve as digital signatures for their genetic targets. Tags are cleaved from primers and recorded by mass spectroscopy, enabling a sensitive, inexpensive, and highly multiplexed microbial detection. We used the multiplex MassTag PCR system (10) to investigate respiratory samples that had tested negative during routine diagnostic assessment. This previous study yielded pathogen candidates in approximately one third of cases, and in 8 cases identifi ed a novel genetic clade of picornaviruses divergent from the previously characterized clades, including HRV-A and-B (8) . To assess whether this novel clade cir- Figure) . Samples collected in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, were from symptomatic persons living in the vicinity of Taϊ National Park. This location was the most remote of our study; residents have limited contact with other human populations. In this location, 2 (10%) HRV-A were identifi ed in the 52 samples available for analysis (Table 1, Figure) .