Abstract
BackgroundAcute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a worldwide public health problem. It is estimated that up to 80% of cases of ARIs are caused by viruses. In Central America, however, we identified few epidemiologic studies on the main ARI-related viruses in hospitalized children.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed the clinical charts of patients ages 29 days to 14 years admitted with diagnoses of ARIs in a pediatric reference hospital in central Panama during 2016. The variables analyzed were age, sex, signs, symptoms, and diagnosis at admission. Samples of patients to whom a viral panel was indicated were analyzed via quantitative polymerase chain reaction, qPCR.ResultsThe most common virus was respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; 25.9%), followed by influenza A virus (10.6%), rhinovirus (10.6%), parainfluenza type 3 (PIV-3; 8.2%) and adenovirus (5.9%). However, virus detection varied with patient age and season. RSV and Influenza virus were respectively identified mainly during July–November and May–July. All cases of viral co-infection occurred in children < 5-years-old. Both influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and rhinovirus were detected in all pediatric ages analyzed in this study, unlike RSV and PIV-3, which were only present in children < 5-years-old.ConclusionsThis study analyzed the epidemiological patterns of different respiratory viruses in pediatric patients with ARI from central Panama and found that the prevalence of the specific respiratory viruses identified varied with season and age. The most common viruses were RSV, influenza A, and rhinovirus. There were no reports of human metapneumovirus associated with ARI, which may be explained by the time and geographic location of the study. Knowledge of the local epidemiology of respiratory viruses in tropical countries is helpful in forecasting the peaks of hospitalizations due to ARIs and may help improve prevention efforts aiming at respiratory disease control in these settings.
Highlights
Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a worldwide public health problem
Regarding the seasonal detection of respiratory viruses, influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 peaked in June, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) peaked in August (Fig. 2). Both influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and rhinovirus were detected in all pediatric ages analyzed in this study, unlike RSV and parainfluenza 1–4 viruses (PIV)-3, which were only present in children < 5-years-old
This study describes the epidemiology of respiratory viruses in children admitted with the diagnosis of ARI in a reference hospital in central Panama
Summary
Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a worldwide public health problem. It is estimated that up to 80% of cases of ARIs are caused by viruses. Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) constitute a complex group of infections affecting any anatomic site within the respiratory tract. Worldwide, these are a large public health problem, ranking among the top causes of pediatric outpatient and inpatient care [2]. The human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; family Pneumoviridae) is one of the main viruses causing lower ARIs and approximately 45% of the hospitalizations and deaths in children over 6 months old can be attributed to this virus [3]. Other viruses associated with ARIs are rhinovirus (family Picornaviridae); parainfluenza 1–4 viruses (PIV; family Paramyxoviridae); influenza A, B, and C (family Orthomyxoviridae), adenovirus (family Adenoviridae), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV; family Paramyxoviridae) [8,9,10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
