High incidence of virus among respiratory pathogens in children with lower respiratory tract infection in northwestern China.

BACKGROUND
Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is one of the major reasons for the childhood mortality that threaten the health of the public. We aimed to investigate the epidemiological pathogens and their infection analysis among children with LRTI.


METHODS
Sputum specimens were collected for PCR detection and microbiological tests to identify the viral infection and bacterial infection. The serological specimens were separated from venous blood using for Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) detection.


RESULTS
Virus was confirmed in 86.2% of the children. Human Rhinovirus (HRV, 38.3%), Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV, 32.1%) and Parainfluenza Virus type 3 (PIV3, 27.2%) were the most frequently identified pathogens. Patients with viral and bacterial co-infection showed younger age (P=0.032), higher propotion of wheezing rales (P=0.032), three depressions sign (P=0.028) and tachypnea (P=0.038), and more likely associated with sever pneumonia (P=0.035). Additionally, older children were more susceptible with viral-atypical bacterial co-infection (P=0.032). Vomiting (P=0.011) and fever (P=0.003) were more likely to occur in children with viral-atypical bacterial co-infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Attention should be paid on the virus infection of LRTI, viral-bacterial co-infection and viral-atypical bacterial co-infection may have detrimental impact on the gravity of LTRI. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.