HMPV could be detected in three subjects. All these subjects were AE-COPD patients. The prevalence of hMPV in AE-COPD patients was 2.3%. The virus was simultaneously detected in nasal lavage and induced sputum in one patient only. The viral load was about 100 times higher in nasal lavage than in induced sputum in this patient. Overall the viral load in nasal lavage was about 3.5 times higher compared to induced sputum (for details see table 2). The hMPV positive patients did not differ significantly from other AE-COPD patients when clinical parameters and lung function were analysed. hMPV was detected in the winter season only.