Hospitalization For Respiratory Infection Research Articles

Short-term exposure to ultrafine particles and respiratory infection hospital admissions in children

Short-term exposure to ultrafine particles and respiratory infection hospital admissions in children

Epidemiological changes of acute respiratory infections in children: A single-center experience after COVID-19 lockdown.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemiology of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) has continually changed, making it difficult to predict. Our study aimed to evaluate epidemiological changes and clinical outcomes of ARIs in pediatric patients in the post-lockdown period. A single-center retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in one of the largest pediatric emergency departments in Lithuania during two cold seasons-from October 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022 (Season I) and in the same period in 2022-2023 (Season II). Patients under 18 years of age who had been tested for COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Additional data about other respiratory pathogens in the study group (specifically influenza A/B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and group A Streptococcus (GAS)), were included. During both seasons of our study, 19,366 children were screened for COVID-19. Positive tests for COVID-19 decreased from 14.5% in Season I to 5.9% in Season II, while at the same time, the rates of other infections increased significantly: influenza from 17.5% to 27.1%, RSV from 8.8% to 27.6%, and GAS from 8.4% to 44%, respectively. In Season II, COVID-19 infection presented in fewer admissions to pediatric intensive care (0.8% vs. 3.7%, p<0.01) and there were no deaths, while influenza presented in a higher proportion of hospitalizations (10.5% vs. 6.1%, p<0.01) and there was one death. The proportion of RSV hospitalizations also increased in Season II (34.6% vs. 44.0%, p<0.01). The early post-lockdown period saw a decline of COVID-19 and re-emergence of influenza, RSV and GAS infections in children. In Season II, COVID-19 cases became milder contrary to influenza. RSV infection contributed significantly to hospitalizations for respiratory infections in children in both seasons, particularly in Season II. Coinfections were not associated with a more severe course of the disease.

Targeted metagenomics reveals association between severity and pathogen co-detection in infants with respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalisation for respiratory infection in young children. RSV disease severity is known to be age-dependent and highest in young infants, but other correlates of severity, particularly the presence of additional respiratory pathogens, are less well understood. In this study, nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from two cohorts of RSV-positive infants <12 months in Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands during 2017–20. We show, using targeted metagenomic sequencing of >100 pathogens, including all common respiratory viruses and bacteria, from samples collected from 433 infants, that burden of additional viruses is common (111/433, 26%) but only modestly correlates with RSV disease severity. In contrast, there is strong evidence in both cohorts and across age groups that presence of Haemophilus bacteria (194/433, 45%) is associated with higher severity, including much higher rates of hospitalisation (odds ratio 4.25, 95% CI 2.03–9.31). There is no evidence for association between higher severity and other detected bacteria, and no difference in severity between RSV genotypes. Our findings reveal the genomic diversity of additional pathogens during RSV infection in infants, and provide an evidence base for future causal investigations of the impact of co-infection on RSV disease severity.

Change in rate of healthcare encounters for respiratory infection from air pollution exposure after improved vehicle emissions standards in New York State

The introduction of Tier 3 light-duty vehicles with reduced emissions began in New York State (NYS) in 2017, with required compliance by 2025. We hypothesized that improved air quality during the early implementation of Tier 3 (2017–2019) would result in reduced rates of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory infection associated with increased PM2.5 compared to 2014–2016 (pre-Tier 3). Using data on adult patients hospitalized or having an ED visit for influenza, upper respiratory infection, culture-negative pneumonia, or respiratory bacterial infection, living within 15 miles of six air quality monitoring sites in NY, and a case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression, we estimated the rates of respiratory infection hospitalizations and ED visits associated with increased ambient PM2.5 concentrations in the previous 0–6 days and each week thereafter up to 1 month. Interquartile range (IQR) increases in PM2.5 in the previous 6 days were associated with 4.6% (95% CI: − 0.5, 10.1) and 11.9% (95% CI = 6.1, 18.0) increased rates of influenza hospitalizations in 2014–2016 and 2017–2019, respectively. This pattern of larger relative rates in 2017–2019 observed at all lag times was only present in males hospitalized for influenza but not other infections or in females. The rates of respiratory infection visits associated with increased PM2.5 were generally not reduced in this early Tier 3 implementation period compared to 2014–2016. Limited fleet penetration of Tier 3 vehicles and differences in particle deposition, infection type, and sex by period may all have contributed to this lack of improvement.

Prevalence of Influenza Viruses A and B, Adenovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and Human Metapneumonia Viruses among Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Infection.

Acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. The majority of acute respiratory infections in children are caused by viruses, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) being the most frequently encountered. Other important viral pathogens include human metapneumovirus, human coronaviruses, adenovirus, and influenza. These infections can lead to complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. So, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of influenza viruses A and B, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in children with ARTI. The molecular diagnostic of polymerase chain reaction approach was used to detect influenza (A and B), metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and adenovirus in respiratory samples of children with acute respiratory infection hospitalization in a teaching hospital of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in January 2016-March 2017. Of the 340 patients examined, 208 (61.20%) were male and the median age was 3.13 ± 2.38 years. Respiratory viruses were found in 179 (52.64%) patients. The male-to-female ratio was 1.63 : 1 in patients who were viral positive. Detection rates for influenza A, adenovirus, influenza B, RSV, and HMPV were 28.23%, 24.70%, 8.52%, 3.23%, and 2.64%, respectively, and coinfections were detected in 24.02%. The most common combination of two-virus coinfections was IFVA/AdV, followed by IFVB/AdV, AdV, IFVB/IFVA, RSV/IFVA, HMPV/AdV, RSV/AdV, and HMPV/IFVA. The high prevalence of respiratory viruses in children hospitalized with ARTI suggests that viral infection may play a role in disease pathogenesis. This should be confirmed through the conduct of case-control studies and may inform the role of vaccination to prevent respiratory viral infections.

In-Hospital influenza vaccination to prevent cardiorespiratory events in the first 45 days after acute coronary syndrome: A prespecified analysis of the VIP-ACS trial

BackgroundInfluenza vaccination prevents major cardiovascular events in individuals presenting a recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS), however the early effect of an in-hospital double-dose vaccination strategy remains uncertain. MethodsThe VIP-ACS was a randomized, pragmatic, multicenter, open-label trial with a blinded-adjudication endpoint. Patients with ACS ≤ 7 days of hospitalization were randomized to an in-hospital double-dose quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (double-dose) or a standard-dose influenza vaccine at 30 days post-randomization. The primary endpoint was a hierarchical composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, hospitalization for heart failure, urgent coronary revascularization, and hospitalization for respiratory infections, analyzed with the win ratio (WR) method in short-term follow-up (45-days after randomization). ResultsThe trial enrolled 1,801 patients (≥18 years old). Median participant age was 57 years, 70 % were male. There were no significant differences between groups on the primary hierarchical endpoint: there were 5.7 % wins in the double-dose in-hospital group and 5.5 % wins in the standard-dose delayed vaccination group (WR: 1.03; 95 % CI: 0.70–––1.53; P = 0.85). In a sensitivity analysis including COVID-19 infection in the hospitalizations for respiratory infections endpoint, overall results were maintained (WR: 1.03; 95 % CI 0.71–––1.51; P = 0.87). Results were consistent for major cardiovascular events only (WR: 0.82; 95 % CI: 0.48–––1.39; P = 0.46). No serious adverse events were observed. ConclusionIn patients with recent ACS, in-hospital double-dose influenza vaccination did not significantly reduce cardiorespiratory events at 45 days compared with standard-dose vaccination at 30 days post-randomization.

Association between perinatal and early life exposures and lung function in Australian Indigenous young adults: The Aboriginal Birth Cohort study.

Despite the high burden of respiratory disease amongst Indigenous populations, prevalence data on spirometric deficits and its determinants are limited. We estimated the prevalence of abnormal spirometry in young Indigenous adults and determined its relationship with perinatal and early life factors. We used prospectively collected data from the Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort, a birth cohort of 686 Indigenous Australian singletons. We calculated the proportion with abnormal spirometry (z-score <-1.64) and FEV1 below the population mean (FEV1 % predicted 0 to -2SD) measured in young adulthood. We evaluated the association between perinatal and early life exposures with spirometry indices using linear regression. Fifty-nine people (39.9%, 95%CI 31.9, 48.2) had abnormal spirometry; 72 (49.3%, 95%CI 40.9, 57.7) had a FEV1 below the population mean. Pre-school hospitalisations for respiratory infections, younger maternal age, being overweight in early childhood and being born remotely were associated with reduced FEV1 and FVC (absolute, %predicted and z-score). The association between maternal age and FEV1 and FVC were stronger in women, as was hospitalization for respiratory infections before age 5. Being born remotely had a stronger association with reduced FEV1 and FVC in men. Participants born in a remote community were over 6 times more likely to have a FEV1 below the population mean (odds ratio [OR] 6.30, 95%CI 1.93, 20.59). Young Indigenous adults have a high prevalence of impaired lung function associated with several perinatal and early life factors, some of which are modifiable with feasible interventions.

Urgent Hospitalizations Related to Viral Respiratory Disease in Children during Autumn and Winter Seasons 2022/2023.

The loosening of social distancing measures over the past two years has led to a resurgence of seasonal epidemics associated with respiratory viral infections in children. We aim to describe the impact of such infections through urgent hospitalizations in a pediatric emergency department. We performed a retrospective review of medical records of all children and adolescents with a positive nasal swab admitted at the children's hospital IRCCS Burlo Garofolo of Trieste, in Italy, from September 2021 to March 2022, and September 2022 to March 2023. Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza viruses accounted for up to 55% of hospitalizations for respiratory infections during the study periods. During the last season, the number of hospitalizations related to the Influenza virus was five times higher than those related to SARS-CoV-2 (25% vs. 5%). Respiratory Syncytial Virus was associated with a greater need for respiratory support, mostly HFNC (High Flow Nasal Cannula). Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza virus had a more significant impact on urgent hospitalizations during the past wintery seasons than SARS-CoV-2.

Situs Ambiguus Is Associated With Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Children With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

BackgroundPrimary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare disorder of motile cilia associated with situs abnormalities. At least 12% of patients with PCD have situs ambiguus (SA), including organ laterality defects falling outside normal arrangement [situs solitus (SS)] or mirror image inversion [situs inversus totalis (SIT)]. Research QuestionDo patients with PCD and SA have worse clinical outcomes compared to those with SS or SIT? Study Design and MethodsThis cross-sectional, multicenter study evaluated participants ≤21 years with PCD. Participants were classified as SA, including heterotaxy, or non-SA (SS or SIT). Markers of disease severity were compared between situs groups, adjusting for age at enrollment and severe CCDC39/CCDC40 genotype, using generalized linear models, logistic and Poisson regression. ResultsIn 397 participants with PCD (mean age 8.4 years, range 0.1-21), 42 were classified as SA, including 16 (38%) with complex cardiovascular malformations (CVM) or atrial isomerism, 13 (31%) with simple CVM, and 13 (31%) without CVM. Of these, 15 (36%) underwent cardiac surgery, 24 (57%) had an anatomic spleen abnormality, and 7 (17%) had both. The remaining 355 participants were non-SA, including 152 with SIT and 203 with SS. Overall, 70 (17%) participants had the severe CCDC39/CCDC40 genotype. Compared to non-SA participants, those with SA had lower median body mass index Z-scores (p=0.03), lower forced vital capacity Z-scores (p=0.01), more hospitalizations and intravenous antibiotic courses for acute respiratory infections during the 5-years before enrollment (p<0.01). Participants with CVM requiring surgery or anatomic spleen abnormalities had lower median body mass index Z-scores and more hospitalizations and intravenous therapies for respiratory illnesses compared to non-SA participants. InterpretationChildren with PCD and SA have worse nutritional and pulmonary outcomes with more hospitalizations for acute respiratory illnesses than those with SS or SIT combined. Poor nutrition and increased hospitalizations for respiratory infections in SA participants with PCD are associated with CVM requiring cardiac surgery and/or splenic anomalies. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02389049, NCT00323167

Indoor air quality in remote first nations communities in Ontario, Canada.

A recent study of the health of Indigenous children in four First Nations Communities in remote northwestern Ontario found that 21% of children had been admitted to hospital for respiratory infections before age 2 years. Here we report a detailed analysis of the housing conditions in these communities. We employed a variety of statistical methods, including linear regression, mixed models, and logistic regression, to assess the correlations between housing conditions and loadings of biocontaminants (dust mite allergens, fungal glucan, and endotoxin) and indoor concentrations of PM2.5, CO2, benzene, and formaldehyde. The houses (n = 101) were crowded with an average of approximately 7 people. Approximately 27% of the homes had sustained CO2 concentrations above 1500 ppm. Most homes had more than one smoker. Commercial tobacco smoking and the use of non-electric heating (e.g., wood, oil) were associated with increased fine particle concentrations. Over 90% of the homes lacked working Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs), which was associated with increased fine particle concentrations and higher CO2. Of the 101 homes, 12 had mold damage sufficient to increase the relative risk of respiratory disease. This resulted from roof leaks, through walls or around the windows due to construction defects or lack of maintenance. A similar percentage had mold resulting from condensation on windows. Endotoxin loadings were much higher than any previous study in Canada. This work provides evidence for the need for more effort to repair existing houses and to ensure the HRVs are properly installed and maintained.

Exposure to air pollution and risk of respiratory tract infections in the adult Danish population—a nationwide study

ObjectivesThe association between air pollution and risk of respiratory tract infection (RTI) in adults needs to be clarified in settings with low to moderate levels of air pollution. We investigated this in the Danish population between 2004 and 2016. MethodsWe included 3 653 490 persons aged 18–64 years in a nested case-control study. Exposure was defined as the average daily concentration at the individual's residential address of CO, NOX, NO2, O3, SO2, NH3, PPM2.5, black carbon, organic carbon, mineral dust, sea salt, secondary inorganic aerosols, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, secondary organic aerosols, PM2.5, and PM10 during a 3-month exposure window. RTIs were defined by hospitalization for RTIs. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% CIs were estimated comparing highest with lowest decile of exposure using conditional logistic regression models. ResultsIn total, 188 439 incident cases of RTI were identified. Exposure to most air pollutants was positively associated with risk of RTI. For example, NO2 showed an IRR of 1.52 (CI: 1.48–1.55), and PM2.5 showed an IRR of 1.45 (CI: 1.40–1.50). In contrast, exposure to sea salt, PM10, NH3, and O3 was negatively associated with a risk of RTIs. DiscussionIn this nationwide study comprising adults, exposure to air pollution was associated with risk of RTIs and subgroups hereof. Sea salt, PM10, NH3, and O3 may be proxies for rural areas, as the levels of these species in Denmark are higher near the western coastlines and/or in rural areas with fewer combustion sources.

Quality Improvement Increases Pediatric Community Hospital Smoking Cessation Interventions.

Tobacco use commonly starts during adolescence and is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure increases asthma and respiratory infection hospitalizations and contributes to sudden unexpected infant death. Few pediatric hospitalist-led smoking cessation studies are formal quality improvement (QI), with most at academic institutions and studying caregivers. To increase SHS exposure/tobacco use screening, smoking cessation discharge instructions, and Smokers' Helpline referrals for community hospital pediatric patients/caregivers through QI. All pediatric, newborn, and NICU admissions were eligible. The baseline period was December 2019 through November 2020 and intervention period December 2020 through June 2021. Interventions included hospitalist education, standardizing documentation, visual reminders, and Helpline wallet cards. The primary measure was monthly percentage of patients screened for SHS exposure/tobacco use. Secondary measures were percentage of patients/caregivers positive for SHS exposure/tobacco use who received (1) discharge instructions or (2) Helpline referral. Length of stay was a balancing measure. Primary and balancing measures were analyzed with statistical process control. Secondary measures were monitored on run charts. Average SHS exposure/tobacco use screening rates increased from 14% to 90%, meeting special cause variation beginning December 2020. Median discharge instructions increased from 0% to 56%. Helpline referrals increased from 0% to 17%. Length of stay remained approximately 2 days. Pediatrician-led QI can increase SHS exposure/tobacco use screening and interventions in the community hospital setting to encourage smoke exposure reduction and smoking cessation for patients and caregivers.

Early childhood respiratory tract infections according to parental subfertility and conception by assisted reproductive technologies.

STUDY QUESTIONAre children conceived by ART or born to subfertile parents more susceptible to upper or lower respiratory tract infections (URTI, LRTI)?SUMMARY ANSWERART-conceived children had a higher frequency of and risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections up to age 3, which was only partly explained by parental subfertility.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYSome studies report increased risks of infections in children conceived by ART. Results for URTIs and LRTIs are inconclusive, and the contribution of underlying parental subfertility remains unclear.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONWe included 84 102 singletons of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) born between 1999 and 2009. Mothers reported time-to-pregnancy at recruitment and child history of, frequency of and hospitalization for, respiratory infections when the child was 6, 18 and 36 months old by questionnaires. Subfertility was defined as having taken 12 or more months to conceive. The Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN) provided information on ART. URTI included throat and ear infections, while LRTI included bronchitis, bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus and pneumonia.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSWe used log-binomial regression to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% CI of any respiratory tract infection and hospitalization, and negative-binomial regression to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% CI for number of infections. We compared children conceived by ART, and naturally conceived children of subfertile parents, to children of fertile parents (<12 months to conceive) while adjusting for maternal age, education, BMI and smoking during pregnancy and previous livebirths. We accounted for dependency between children born to the same mother.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEA total of 7334 (8.7%) singletons were naturally conceived by subfertile parents and 1901 (2.3%) were conceived by ART. Between age 0 and 36 months, 41 609 (49.5%) of children experienced any URTI, 15 542 (18.5%) any LRTI and 4134 (4.9%) were hospitalized due to LRTI. Up to age 3, children conceived by ART had higher frequencies of URTI (adjusted IRR (aIRR) 1.16; 95% CI 1.05–1.28) and hospitalizations due to LRTI (adjusted RR (aRR) 1.25; 95% CI 1.02–1.53), which was not seen for children of subfertile parents. Children conceived by ART were not at higher risks of respiratory infections up to age 18 months; only at age 19–36 months, they had increased risk of any LRTI (aRR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01–1.33), increased frequency of LRTIs (IRR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02–1.47) and a higher risk of hospitalization for LRTI (aRR 1.35; 95% CI 1.01–1.80). They also had an increased frequency of URTIs (aIRR; 1.19; 95% CI 1.07–1.33). Children of subfertile parents only had a higher risk of LRTIs (aRR 1.09; 95% CI 1.01–1.17) at age 19–36 months.LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONSelf-reported time-to-pregnancy and respiratory tract infections by parents could lead to misclassification. Both the initial participation rate and loss to follow up in the MoBa limits generalizability to the general Norwegian population.WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGSART-conceived children might be more susceptible to respiratory tract infections in early childhood. This appears to be only partly explained by underlying parental subfertility. Exactly what aspects related to the ART procedure might be reflected in these associations need to be further investigated.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)Funding was received from the Swiss National Science Foundation (P2BEP3_191798), the Research Council of Norway (no. 262700), and the European Research Council (no. 947684). All authors declare no conflict of interest.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERN/A.

P-789 Early childhood respiratory tract infections according to parental subfertility and conception by assisted reproductive technologies

Abstract Study question Are children conceived by assisted reproductive technologies (ART) or born to subfertile parents more susceptible for upper- or lower respiratory infections (URTI, LRTI)? Summary answer ART-conceived children had higher frequency and risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections up to age 3, which can only partly be explained by parental subfertility. What is known already Some studies report higher health care use, health care costs and increased risks of infections in children conceived by ART. Results for URTIs and LRTIs are inconclusive, and the contribution of underlying parental subfertility remains unclear. Study design, size, duration We included 84 102 singletons of the prospective Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) born between 1999-2008. Mothers reported time-to-pregnancy at recruitment and respiratory infections, frequency, and hospitalisation by questionnaires when the child was 6, 18 and 36 months old. The birth registry provided information on ART and subfertility was defined ≥ 12 months to conception. URTI included throat and ear infections, while LRTI included bronchitis, bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus, and pneumonia. Participants/materials, setting, methods We used log-binomial regression to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of any infection and hospitalisation. We used negative-binomial regression receiving incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% CI for number of infections. We compared children conceived by ART and naturally conceived by subfertile parents to children of fertile parents (reference) while adjusting for maternal age, education, body-mass-index and smoking during pregnancy and previous livebirths. We clustered children born to the same mother. Main results and the role of chance A total of 7334 (8.7%) singletons were naturally conceived by subfertile parents and 1901 (2.3%) by ART. Between age 0-36 months, 41 639 (49.5%) of children experienced any URTI, 15 542 (18.5%) any LRTI, and 4134 (4.9%) were hospitalized due to LRTI. Over the first three years of life, the risk for higher frequency of URTI (aIRR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05-1.28) and any hospitalisation due to LRTI (aRR 1.25; 95% CI 1.02-1.53) was increased for children conceived by ART but not for children of subfertile parents. Risks of respiratory infections were not increased at age 0-6 or 7-18 months. Only at age 19-36 months, children of subfertile parents had higher risk of LRTIs (adjusted relative risk (aRR) 1.09, 95%CI 1.01-1.17). Children conceived by ART had an increased risk of any LRTI (aRR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.33), increased frequency of LRTI’s (IRR 1.26; 95%CI 1.04- 1.51) and higher risk of hospitalisation for LRTI (aRR 1.38; 95% CI 1.03-1.84) at 19-36 months as well as an increased frequency of URTI’s (aIRR 1.20; 95% CI 1.08-1.34). Limitations, reasons for caution Use of self-reported time-to-pregnancy and respiratory tract infections by parents could lead to misclassification. Selection bias makes the MoBa Cohort somewhat different from the general Norwegian population and lost to follow-up is not at random. Wider implications of the findings ART-conceived children might be more susceptible to respiratory tract infections in early childhood. This appears to be only partly explained by factors related to underlying parental subfertility. The immune response in children might be affected by parental subfertility or through ART technology and this should be further investigated. Trial registration number not applicable

Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in children younger than 5 years in 2019: a systematic analysis

SummaryBackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory infection in young children. We previously estimated that in 2015, 33·1 million episodes of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection occurred in children aged 0–60 months, resulting in a total of 118 200 deaths worldwide. Since then, several community surveillance studies have been done to obtain a more precise estimation of RSV associated community deaths. We aimed to update RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection morbidity and mortality at global, regional, and national levels in children aged 0–60 months for 2019, with focus on overall mortality and narrower infant age groups that are targeted by RSV prophylactics in development.MethodsIn this systematic analysis, we expanded our global RSV disease burden dataset by obtaining new data from an updated search for papers published between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2020, from MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, OpenGrey, CNKI, Wanfang, and ChongqingVIP. We also included unpublished data from RSV GEN collaborators. Eligible studies reported data for children aged 0–60 months with RSV as primary infection with acute lower respiratory infection in community settings, or acute lower respiratory infection necessitating hospital admission; reported data for at least 12 consecutive months, except for in-hospital case fatality ratio (CFR) or for where RSV seasonality is well-defined; and reported incidence rate, hospital admission rate, RSV positive proportion in acute lower respiratory infection hospital admission, or in-hospital CFR. Studies were excluded if case definition was not clearly defined or not consistently applied, RSV infection was not laboratory confirmed or based on serology alone, or if the report included fewer than 50 cases of acute lower respiratory infection. We applied a generalised linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) to estimate RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection incidence, hospital admission, and in-hospital mortality both globally and regionally (by country development status and by World Bank Income Classification) in 2019. We estimated country-level RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection incidence through a risk-factor based model. We developed new models (through GLMM) that incorporated the latest RSV community mortality data for estimating overall RSV mortality. This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021252400).FindingsIn addition to 317 studies included in our previous review, we identified and included 113 new eligible studies and unpublished data from 51 studies, for a total of 481 studies. We estimated that globally in 2019, there were 33·0 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes (uncertainty range [UR] 25·4–44·6 million), 3·6 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection hospital admissions (2·9–4·6 million), 26 300 RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection in-hospital deaths (15 100–49 100), and 101 400 RSV-attributable overall deaths (84 500–125 200) in children aged 0–60 months. In infants aged 0–6 months, we estimated that there were 6·6 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes (4·6–9·7 million), 1·4 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection hospital admissions (1·0–2·0 million), 13 300 RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection inhospital deaths (6800–28 100), and 45700 RSV-attributable overall deaths (38 400–55 900). 2·0% of deaths in children aged 0–60 months (UR 1·6–2·4) and 3·6% of deaths in children aged 28 days to 6 months (3·0–4·4) were attributable to RSV. More than 95% of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes and more than 97% of RSV-attributable deaths across all age bands were in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).InterpretationRSV contributes substantially to morbidity and mortality burden globally in children aged 0–60 months, especially during the first 6 months of life and in LMICs. We highlight the striking overall mortality burden of RSV disease worldwide, with one in every 50 deaths in children aged 0–60 months and one in every 28 deaths in children aged 28 days to 6 months attributable to RSV. For every RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection in-hospital death, we estimate approximately three more deaths attributable to RSV in the community. RSV passive immunisation programmes targeting protection during the first 6 months of life could have a substantial effect on reducing RSV disease burden, although more data are needed to understand the implications of the potential age-shifts in peak RSV burden to older age when these are implemented.FundingEU Innovative Medicines Initiative Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe (RESCEU).

Housing conditions and respiratory morbidity in Indigenous children in remote communities in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.

Background:Rates of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among First Nations (FN) children living in Canada are elevated. We aimed to quantify indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in the homes of FN children in isolated communities and evaluate any associations with respiratory morbidity.Methods:We performed a cross-sectional evaluation of 98 FN children (81 with complete data) aged 3 years or younger, living in 4 FN communities in the Sioux Lookout region of Northern Ontario. We performed medical chart reviews and administered questionnaires. We performed a housing inspection, including quantifying the interior surface area of mould (SAM). We monitored air quality for 5 days in each home and quantified the contaminant loading of settled floor dust, including endotoxin. We analyzed associations between IEQ variables and respiratory conditions using univariable and multivariable analyses.Results:Participants had a mean age of 1.6 years and 21% had been admitted to hospital for respiratory infections before age 2 years. Houses were generally crowded (mean occupancy 6.6 [standard deviation 2.6, range 3–17] people per house). Serious housing concerns were frequent, including a lack of functioning controlled ventilation. The mean SAM in the occupied space was 0.2 m2. In multivariable modelling, there was evidence of an association of LRTI with log endotoxin (p = 0.07) and age (p = 0.02), and for upper respiratory tract infections, with SAM (p = 0.07) and age (p = 0.03). Wheeze with colds was associated with log endotoxin (p = 0.03) and age (p = 0.04).Interpretation:We observed poor housing conditions and an association between endotoxin and wheezing in young FN children living in Northern Ontario.

Relação entre Desnutrição Infantil e o Risco de Doença Respiratória em crianças de até 4 anos no Brasil: um Estudo Epidemiológico

Malnutrition has a relationship with infectious diseases, suggesting that it can lead to damage in some aspects of the immune response, and this disorder may increase the susceptibility to infections, having been shown to be mainly related to respiratory infections. The objective was to carry out an analysis of the number of hospitalizations for malnutrition and respiratory disease in children up to 4 years of age in Brazil, in order to carry out a survey of data between 2017 and 2019 on the occurrence of these conditions by region of the federation. This is a search of articles published on SciELO, Academic Google, Virtual Health Library and data provided by DATASUS platforms. It was shown that the total number of hospitalizations for respiratory tract infections was greater than the number of hospitalizations for malnutrition in all regions of the federation and that the highest number of cases of malnutrition was found in the Northeast region. It is concluded that there is still a large occurrence of child malnutrition in Brazilian regions and that there is also a large number of hospitalizations for respiratory infections in the pediatric age group targeted by the study.

Mechanisms underlying the health effects of desert sand dust.

Desertification and climate change indicate a future expansion of the global area of dry land and an increase in the risk of drought. Humans may therefore be at an ever-increasing risk of frequent exposure to, and resultant adverse health effects of desert sand dust. This review appraises a total of 52 experimental studies that have sought to identify mechanisms and intermediate endpoints underlying epidemiological evidence of an impact of desert dust on cardiovascular and respiratory health. Toxicological studies, in main using doses that reflect or at least approach real world exposures during a dust event, have demonstrated that virgin sand dust particles and dust storm particles sampled at remote locations away from the source induce inflammatory lung injury and aggravate allergen-induced nasal and pulmonary eosinophilia. Effects are orchestrated by cytokines, chemokines and antigen-specific immunoglobulin potentially via toll-like receptor/myeloid differentiation factor signaling pathways. Findings suggest that in addition to involvement of adhered chemical and biological pollutants, mineralogical components may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of human respiratory disorders during a dust event. Whilst comparisons with urban particulate matter less than 2.5μm in diameter (PM2.5) suggest that allergic inflammatory responses are greater for microbial element-rich dust- PM2.5, aerosols generated during dust events appear to have a lower oxidative potential compared to combustion-generated PM2.5 sampled during non-dust periods. In vitro findings suggest that the significant amounts of suspended desert dust during storm periods may provide a platform to intermix with chemicals on its surfaces, thereby increasing the bioreactivity of PM2.5 during dust storm episodes, and that mineral dust surface reactions are an unrecognized source of toxic organic chemicals in the atmosphere, enhancing toxicity of aerosols in urban environments. In summary, the experimental research on desert dust on respiratory endpoints go some way in clarifying the mechanistic effects of atmospheric desert dust on the upper and lower human respiratory system. In doing so, they provide support for biological plausibility of epidemiological associations between this particulate air pollutant and events including exacerbation of asthma, hospitalization for respiratory infections and seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Three exposure metrics of size-specific particulate matter associated with acute lower respiratory infection hospitalization in children: A multi-city time-series analysis in China

BackgroundThe global burden of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) attributable to air pollution has increased in recent years, but the association between ALRI and exposure to size-specific particulate matter has not been investigated using different exposure metrics. MethodsWe obtained ALRI admission from seven cities from 2014 to 2016 in China. Different sized particles were measured using three metrics (a) daily mean, (b) hourly peak, and (c) daily excessive concentration hours (DECH). Generalized additive models were fitted for each of the seven cities, and the city-specific estimates were then pooled using random-effects meta-analysis models. Stratified analyses were conducted to examine the effect modifications of gender, age, and season. We also estimated the disease burden due to particulate matter exposures. ResultsThere were 111,426 ALRI (79,803 pneumonia and 31,622 bronchiolitis) hospital admissions under the age of 15 between 2014 and 2016 in our study. Daily means were associated with the largest ALRI estimates (95% confidence interval [CI]): 2.43% (0.79%, 4.11%) for PM2.5, 2.25% (0.11%, 4.44%) for PMc, and 2.64% (0.73%, 4.58%) for PM10. The magnitude of effect sizes were followed by DECH: 1.94% (0.51%, 3.39%) for PM2.5, 0.88% (−0.14%, 1.92%) for PMc, 1.86% (0.50%, 2.01%) for PM10; and hourly peak: 0.70% (−0.60%, 2.01%) for PM2.5, 1.05% (−0.13%, 2.66%) for PMc, and 1.20% (−0.20%, 2.62%) for PM10 at lag03. We found significantly higher effects in cold seasons than that in warm seasons, while we did not find a significant different between gender and age groups. ConclusionsThe adverse effects of exposure to particulate matter on ALRI hospitalizations are reconfirmed. DECH was a possible alternative exposure indicator for PM2.5 assessment, which may affect air quality standards in the future.

Transplacental transfer of RSV antibody in Australian First Nations infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection hospitalisations in Aboriginal infants specifically those aged <6 months. Maternally derived RSV antibody (Ab) can protect against severe RSV disease in infancy. However, the efficiency of transplacental transfer of maternal anti-RSV Ab remains unknown in Aboriginal infants. We characterised RSV Ab in Australian First Nations mother-infant pairs (n = 78). We investigated impact of covariates including low birthweight, gestational age (GA), sex of the baby, maternal age and multiparity of the mother on cord to maternal anti-RSV Ab titre ratio (CMTR) using multivariable logistic regression model. All (n = 78) but one infant was born full term (median GA: 39 weeks, interquartile range: 38–40 weeks) and 56% were males. The mean log2 RSV Ab titre was 10.7 (SD ± 1.3) in maternal serum and 11.0 (SD ± 1.3) in cord serum at birth; a ratio of 1.02 (SD ±0.06). One-third of the pairs had a CMTR of <1 indicating impaired transfer. Almost 9% (7/78) of the term infants had cord RSV Ab levels below <log2 9. Covariates showed no effect on CMTR. Further mechanistic research is needed to determine the significance of these findings on RSV disease in First Nations children.