On 2017 Feb 08, Seung Gyu Yun commented:

First, I agree with your opinion, such as definition of saliva. We seem to have misrepresented a saliva that was confused it with the oral fluid.

ASAP, I will request a correction to JCM.

Second, we don't exaclty know that the levels of virus in oral fluid would be sufficient to cause infection. Because we did not test virus culture test in oral fluid. However, we generally found that virus in oral fluid had low level. Perhaps your opinion is correct, but unfortunately I have not found accurate data about resiratory viral culture in oral fluid

Thank for your comment.

On 2017 Jan 26, Ronald Eccles commented:

Dear Authors

I was very pleased to read your recent article in Virology- a very interesting project.

I am often asked if saliva can be a source of common cold and influenza infections and I usually reply NO

The respiratory viruses such as rhinovirus and influenza replicate in the respiratory epithelium of nose, larynx and trachea and do not replicate in the oral mucosa.

However, your study clearly demonstrates that these respiratory viruses can be found in fluid samples taken from the oral cavity- I say fluid samples because saliva in the mouth may be contaminated with respiratory mucus on sneezing an coughing. The fluid you samples in the mouth was not pure saliva.

I agree that adenoviruses may replicate in the oral cavity but the respiratory viruses by definition do not.

I believe that the levels of virus you have detected in oral fluid with your very sensitive pcr technique demonstrate the presence of viruses in oral fluid rather than saliva- it is a fine point but in order to get pure saliva you would need to cannulate the parotid duct and I doubt if you would find any respiratory viruses in this pure saliva.

I found your research very interesting and congratulate you on a very important project.

One final point- do you believe the levels of virus you found in oral fluid would be sufficient to cause infection? I am doubtful as your pcr technique would detect very small amounts of RNA or DNA and the viral titre of infectious particles would be very low

I would be interested in your comments

Kind Regards

Professor Ron Eccles Director Common Cold Centre & Healthcare Clinical Trials Cardiff School of Biosciences Sir Martin Evans building Cardiff University Museum Avenue Cardiff CF10 3AX United Kingdom

Ronald Eccles Cyfarwyddwr Treialon Gofal lechyd a Chanolfan Anywyd Caerdydd Ffordd yr Amgueddfa Caerrdydd CF10 3AX

On 2017 Jan 26, Ronald Eccles commented:

Dear Authors

I was very pleased to read your recent article in Virology- a very interesting project.

I am often asked if saliva can be a source of common cold and influenza infections and I usually reply NO

The respiratory viruses such as rhinovirus and influenza replicate in the respiratory epithelium of nose, larynx and trachea and do not replicate in the oral mucosa.

However, your study clearly demonstrates that these respiratory viruses can be found in fluid samples taken from the oral cavity- I say fluid samples because saliva in the mouth may be contaminated with respiratory mucus on sneezing an coughing. The fluid you samples in the mouth was not pure saliva.

I agree that adenoviruses may replicate in the oral cavity but the respiratory viruses by definition do not.

I believe that the levels of virus you have detected in oral fluid with your very sensitive pcr technique demonstrate the presence of viruses in oral fluid rather than saliva- it is a fine point but in order to get pure saliva you would need to cannulate the parotid duct and I doubt if you would find any respiratory viruses in this pure saliva.

I found your research very interesting and congratulate you on a very important project.

One final point- do you believe the levels of virus you found in oral fluid would be sufficient to cause infection? I am doubtful as your pcr technique would detect very small amounts of RNA or DNA and the viral titre of infectious particles would be very low

I would be interested in your comments

Kind Regards

Professor Ron Eccles Director Common Cold Centre & Healthcare Clinical Trials Cardiff School of Biosciences Sir Martin Evans building Cardiff University Museum Avenue Cardiff CF10 3AX United Kingdom

Ronald Eccles Cyfarwyddwr Treialon Gofal lechyd a Chanolfan Anywyd Caerdydd Ffordd yr Amgueddfa Caerrdydd CF10 3AX

On 2017 Feb 08, Seung Gyu Yun commented:

First, I agree with your opinion, such as definition of saliva. We seem to have misrepresented a saliva that was confused it with the oral fluid.

ASAP, I will request a correction to JCM.

Second, we don't exaclty know that the levels of virus in oral fluid would be sufficient to cause infection. Because we did not test virus culture test in oral fluid. However, we generally found that virus in oral fluid had low level. Perhaps your opinion is correct, but unfortunately I have not found accurate data about resiratory viral culture in oral fluid

Thank for your comment.