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An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
09:01

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Multiple simultaneous viral infections in infants with acute respiratory tract infections in Spain

Cristina Calvo1, Maria Luz García-García, Carolina Blanco

  • 1Pediatrics Department, Severo Ochoa Hospital, Madrid, Spain. ccalvo@mi.madritel.es

Journal of Clinical Virology : the Official Publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
|May 6, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Multiple viral infections are common in hospitalized children with respiratory issues. These infections lead to higher fever, longer hospital stays, and increased antibiotic use compared to single respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

Background:

  • The clinical impact of co-infections with multiple respiratory viruses in children remains unclear.
  • Understanding these patterns is crucial for effective pediatric respiratory infection management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize clinical presentations of multiple viral infections in hospitalized infants.
  • To compare these presentations with single respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of infants under 2 years with acute respiratory infection.
  • Multiplex reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) used for viral detection in nasopharyngeal aspirates.
  • Comparison of clinical data between multiple viral infection cases and a control group with single RSV infection.

Main Results:

  • Respiratory viruses detected in 65.9% of 749 analyzed specimens.
  • Multiple viral infections identified in 17.4% of positive samples, with recurrent wheezing and bronchiolitis being common diagnoses.
  • Infants with multiple viral infections experienced significantly higher fever, longer hospitalizations, and more frequent antibiotic use compared to single RSV cases.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple viral infections are prevalent in hospitalized children with respiratory disease (17.4%).
  • These co-infections are associated with more severe clinical outcomes, including increased fever, prolonged hospital stays, and greater antibiotic utilization.
Abstract

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