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Viral and atypical bacterial detection in acute respiratory infection in children under five years

Patrícia G M Bezerra1, Murilo C A Britto, Jailson B Correia

  • 1Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil.

Plos One
|May 3, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mpp) cause severe acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Brazilian preschoolers. This study identified common viral and bacterial pathogens in ARI cases, highlighting specific associations with disease severity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Respiratory Virology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is a major global cause of childhood illness and death.
  • Understanding the specific pathogens responsible for ARI in different clinical presentations is crucial for effective management.
  • Preschool children from low-income families in North-East Brazil represent a vulnerable population for ARI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the viral and atypical bacterial agents causing ARI in preschool children in North-East Brazil.
  • To correlate specific pathogens with different severities and clinical manifestations of ARI.
  • To investigate the role of co-infections in ARI among this population.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective collection of clinical/demographic data and nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) from children under 5 with ARI.
  • Classification of disease severity based on respiratory signs, hospitalization, and oxygen requirements.
  • Multiplex PCR used to detect 17 common respiratory viral and atypical bacterial pathogens in NPA samples.

Main Results:

  • Pathogens were detected in 85.5% of 407 recruited children, with high rates of co-infection (39.5%).
  • Most prevalent pathogens included Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV; 37%), Adenoviruses (AdV; 25%), and Rhinoviruses (hRV; 19%).
  • RSV was linked to more severe bronchiolitis, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mpp; 10%) to more severe pneumonia cases, with Mpp found in 17% of hospitalized pneumonia cases.

Conclusions:

  • Viral and atypical bacterial pathogens are significant contributors to ARI in preschool children in this region.
  • While pathogens are common across ARI severities, RSV and Mpp show specific associations with severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia, respectively.
  • The findings underscore the complex epidemiology of ARI pathogens and the need for targeted interventions.
Abstract

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