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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Infection of Primary Nasal Epithelial Cells Grown at an Air-Liquid Interface to Characterize Human Coronavirus-Host Interactions
Published on: September 22, 2023
Viral pathogens of acute lower respiratory tract infection in China
Lan Fang Tang1, Tian Lin Wang, Hong Feng Tang
1Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Objectives:
To document the viral etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRIs) in Chinese children.
Setting:
Children Hospital, Zhejiang University, China.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional.
Participants:
34885 children with ALRI between January 2001 to December 2006.
Methods:
Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from all subjects. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (ADV), type 1 to 3 parainfluenza viruses (PIV), and type A and B influenza virus (Flu) were detected by direct immunofluorescence.
Results:
Viruses were identified in 32.3% cases, including RSV (23.6%), PIV 3 (4.3%), Flu A (2.0%), ADV (1.7%), PIV I (0.6%), Flu B (0.2%) and PIV 2 (0.1%). RSV and PIV 3 predominated in younger children while Flu A and Flu B predominated in older children (P<0.001, respectively). PIV 1 was more prevalent in children aged 1 to 3 years. The peak frequency of RSV, PIV 3 and Flu A were in early spring, June to August, and August and September, respectively. Flu B had a peak in the winter and spring. Adenovirus infections occurred in all seasons with a relatively constant frequency.
Conclusions:
Viruses are an important cause of ALRIs in Chinese children constituting 1/3 of total cases. RSV is the most common pathogen.
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