[An etiological study on acute respiratory infection among inpatient children in Suzhou]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the pathogen of children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) in Suzhou and to provide some evidences for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The nasopharyngeal secretion samples from 2492 inpatient children with ARI, during the period of November 2005 to May 2007, were investigated for respiratory syncycial virus (RSV), influenza virus A and B, parainfluenza virus type 1, 2, 3 and adenovirus by both the indirect immunofluorescence assay and virus isolation. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) were examined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the same time.

Results: Of 2492 samples tested, 961 (38.6%) were positive. The total positive rate of virus pathogens in children with ARI was found related to age, season and respiratory disease. The detection rates by age were: 50.0% (412/824), 43.4% (190/438), 30.5% (207/679)and 27.6% (152/551), chi(2) = 96.5002, P < 0.01; the detection rates by season were : 46.7% (366/784), 13.8% (66/478), 13.8% (59/428) and 58.6% (470/802), chi(2) = 392.3279, P < 0.01; the detection rates by disease were (acute upper respiratory infection, acute laryngitis, throat-trachea-bronchitis, bronchial pneumonia, pneumonia genuine, bronchiolitis, bronchial asthma): 21.4% (30/140), 73.7% (14/19), 32.0% (8/25), 36.9% (598/1620), 13.1% (8/61), 66.1% (216/327) and 29.0% (87/300), chi(2) = 162.1276, P < 0.01. There was no association between the total positive rate and sex. The detection rates by sex were: 39.0% (588/1508) for male and 37.9% (373/984) for female, chi(2) = 0.2962, P > 0.05. The peak of RSV appeared from December to March. There was the highest RSV detection rate 50.2% (164/327) with bronchiolitis. The hMPV can be detected all year around. The peak of hMPV appeared in winter and the detection rate was 13.2% (106/802).

Conclusion: RSV and hMPV are the main respiratory viral pathogens in Suzhou. Detection of viral pathogens in children with respiratory infection could give fast, accurate diagnostic evidence, and help avoid antibiotics abuse.