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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

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

Published on: December 10, 2013

Eleven consecutive years of respiratory syncytial virus outbreaks in Croatia

Gordana Mlinaric-Galinovic1, Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek, Suncanica Ljubin-Sternak

  • 1Virology Department, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Rockefellerova, Zagreb, Croatia. gordana.galinovic@hzjz.hr

Pediatrics International : Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
|May 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of severe respiratory infections in infants. This study analyzed RSV outbreaks in Croatian children, finding its prevalence stable over a decade, particularly in bronchiolitis cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in infants globally.
  • Understanding RSV epidemiology is crucial for public health interventions and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the epidemiologic characteristics of RSV outbreaks in children residing in Croatia.
  • To determine the prevalence and age distribution of RSV infections in pediatric patients with acute respiratory illness.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 11 years (1994-2005) of pediatric inpatients (birth to 10 years) with acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Zagreb County, Croatia.
  • RSV detection in nasopharyngeal secretions using cell culture isolation and/or direct fluorescence assay with monoclonal antibodies.
  • 3435 children with ARI were tested for RSV and other respiratory viruses.

Main Results:

  • RSV was the most frequent cause of ARI in infants aged 0-6 months (42.2%) and LRTI (49%).
  • RSV was identified in 56.5% of infants with bronchiolitis and 36.5% with pneumonia.
  • RSV was the primary cause of bronchiolitis across childhood (52.7%).

Conclusions:

  • RSV infection prevalence in Croatian children with acute respiratory illness remained stable over the study decade.
  • RSV is a significant and consistent etiological agent for LRTI, particularly bronchiolitis, in pediatric populations in Croatia.
Abstract

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