Clinical and epidemiological features of respiratory virus infections in preschool children over two consecutive influenza seasons in southern Brazil

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 88; no. 8; pp. 1325 - 1333
• Main Authors: Giamberardin, Heloisa I.G., Homsani, Sheila, Bricks, Lucia F., Pacheco, Ana P.O., Guedes, Matilde, Debur, Maria C., Raboni, Sonia M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - genetics; Adenoviridae - isolation & purification; Adenoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Adenoviridae Infections - prevention & control; Adenoviridae Infections - virology; Adenovirus; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; community respiratory virus; Coronavirus; Enterovirus; Epidemiology; Female; Human rhinovirus; Humans; Infant; Influenza; Influenza A virus - genetics; Influenza A virus - isolation & purification; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - virology; Male; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Nose - virology; Oropharynx - virology; Outpatients; pediatric respiratory infection; Preschool children; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - prevention & control; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - virology; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - genetics; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - isolation & purification; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - prevention & control; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Rhinovirus - genetics; Rhinovirus - isolation & purification; Seasons; vaccine; Viral infections; Virology; Virus Diseases - diagnosis; Virus Diseases - epidemiology; Virus Diseases - prevention & control; Virus Diseases - virology; Viruses - classification; Viruses - genetics; Viruses - isolation & purification; influenza; community respiratory virus; vaccine; pediatric respiratory infection
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24477

This study reports the results of a systematic screening for respiratory viruses in pediatric outpatients from an emergency department (ED) in southern Brazil during two consecutive influenza seasons. Children eligible for enrollment in this study were aged 24–59 months and presented with acute respiratory symptoms and fever. Naso‐ and oropharyngeal swabs were collected and multiplex reverse transcription PCR (RT‐PCR) was performed to identify the respiratory viruses involved. In total, 492 children were included in this study: 248 in 2010 and 244 in 2011. In 2010, 136 samples (55%) were found to be positive for at least one virus and the most frequently detected viruses were human rhinovirus (HRV) (18%), adenovirus (AdV) (13%), and human coronavirus (CoV) (5%). In 2011, 158 samples (65%) were found to be positive for at least one virus, and the most frequently detected were HRV (29%), AdV (12%), and enterovirus (9%). Further, the presence of asthma (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.86–5.46) was independently associated with HRV infection, whereas fever was associated with AdV (OR, 3.86; 95% CI, 1.31–16.52) and influenza infections (OR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.26–16.06). Ten patients (2%) were diagnosed with pneumonia, and six of these tested positive for viral infection (4 HRV, 1 RSV, and 1 AdV). Thus, this study identified the most common respiratory viruses found in preschool children in the study region and demonstrated their high frequency, highlighting the need for improved data collection, and case management in order to stimulate preventive measures against these infections. J. Med. Virol. 88:1325–1333, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.