Detection of Common Respiratory Viruses in Patients with Acute Respiratory Infections Using Multiplex Real-Time RT-PCR

Background: Influenza virus and other respiratory viruses have been identified as an essential cause of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children worldwide. However, there are few data on its frequency and clinical presentation in Jordan. Objectives: We aimed to identify the viral etiology of acute respiratory infections and the various clinical presentations in hospitalized children, especially those with influenza viruses compared to other respiratory viruses. Methods: A retrospective study that was conducted at the Jordan university hospital. All the positive nasopharyngeal aspirates that were collected from hospitalized children aged 0-19 years from January 2017 to January 2019 were reviewed. Results: A total of 338 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) with positive viral serology results were reviewed. Among the patients younger than four years, the RSV virus was the most frequently detected. However, the Influenza B virus was the most commonly seen in patients older than 5 years, H1N1 was more frequent in autumn (29.5%), and RSV was the most frequent virus in winter. Bronchopneumonia was the most frequent diagnosis among all hospitalized patients, followed by bronchiolitis. Out of 338 patients, 50.3 % had tachypnea, 70.7% of patients were admitted to the pediatric floor, while 18.6% presented with a severe illness and required admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Infants under the age of one were more likely to have higher co-infection rates with other viruses compared to children over five years that had influenza. Conclusion: Presentations of influenza and other respiratory viruses vary between different age groups, such as sepsis in children younger than one year.

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Clinical-epidemiological peculiarities of acute respiratory infections in children from 3 to 12 years and evaluation of effectiveness of antivirus therapy

Journal Infectology ◽

10.22625/2072-6732-2019-11-3-38-45 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 38-45

Author(s):

S. A. Khmilevskaya ◽

N. I. Zryachkin ◽

V. E. Mikhailova

Keyword(s):

Viral Infections ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Respiratory Viruses ◽

Acute Respiratory Infections ◽

Age Group ◽

Leading Role ◽

Respiratory Viral Infections ◽

Acute Respiratory Viral Infection ◽

Tract Infections

The aim: to study the etiological structure of acute respiratory infections in children aged 3 to 12 hospitalized in the early stages of the disease in the department of respiratory infections of the children’s hospital, and to reveal the features of their clinical course and the timing of DNA / RNA elimination of respiratory viruses from nasal secretions, depending on the method of therapy. Materials and methods: 100 children with acute respiratory infections aged 3 to 12 years were monitored. The nasal secrets on the DNA / RNA of respiratory viruses were studied by PCR. Depending on the method of therapy, patients were divided into 2 groups: patients of group 1 (comparison) received basic treatment (without the use of antiviral drugs), in patients of the 2nd group (main), along with basal therapy, the drug was used umifenovir in a 5-day course at the ageappropriate dosage. Results: In the etiologic structure of ARVI in children from 3 to 12 years, the leading place was taken by rhinovirus, influenza and metapneumovirus infections (isolated – 18%, 19% and 20% respectively, in the form of a mixed infection – 11%). The main syndromic diagnosis at the height of the disease was rhinopharyngitis. Complications were observed in 42% of cases, as often as possible with flu – 53% of cases. Features of metapneumovirus infection in children of this age group were: predominance of non-severe forms of the disease in the form of acute fever with symptoms of rhinopharyngitis, as well as a small incidence of lower respiratory tract infections. The use of the drug umiphenovir in children with acute respiratory viral infections of various etiologies contributed to significantly faster elimination of viral DNA / RNA from the nasal secretion, which was accompanied by a ecrease in the duration of the main clinical and hematological symptoms of the disease, a decrease in the incidence of complications, and reduced the duration of stay in hospital. Conclusion: application of modern molecular genetic methods of diagnostics made it possible to identify the leading role of influenza, metapneumovirus and rhinovirus infections in the etiology of acute respiratory viral infection in patients aged 3 to 12 years, and to determine a number of clinical features characteristic of this age group. The results of the study testify to the effectiveness of umiphenovir in the treatment of children with acute respiratory viral infections of various etiologies and allow us to recommend this drug as an effective and safe etiotropic agent.

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Epidemiology of Respiratory Pathogens among Elderly Nursing Home Residents with Acute Respiratory Infections in Corsica, France, 2013–2017

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/1423718 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Shirley Masse ◽

Lisandru Capai ◽

Alessandra Falchi

Keyword(s):

Nursing Home ◽

Influenza A ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Nursing Home Residents ◽

Respiratory Viruses ◽

Sudden Onset ◽

Influenza Viruses ◽

Influenza B ◽

Acute Respiratory Infections ◽

Respiratory Pathogens

Background. The current study aims to describe the demographical and clinical characteristics of elderly nursing home (NH) residents with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during four winter seasons (2013/2014–2016/2017), as well as the microbiological etiology of these infections. Methods. Seventeen NHs with at least one ARI resident in Corsica, France, were included. An ARI resident was defined as a resident developing a sudden onset of any constitutional symptoms in addition to any respiratory signs. Nasopharyngeal swabs from ARI residents were screened for the presence of 21 respiratory agents, including seasonal influenza viruses. Results. Of the 107 ARI residents enrolled from NHs, 61 (57%) were positive for at least one of the 21 respiratory pathogens. Forty-one (38.3%) of the 107 ARI residents had influenza: 38 (92%) were positive for influenza A (100% A(H3N2)) and three (8%) for influenza B/Victoria. Axillary fever (≥38°C) was significantly more common among patients infected with influenza A(H3N2). Conclusion. The circulation of seasonal respiratory viruses other than influenza A(H3N2) seems to be sporadic among elderly NH residents. Investigating the circulation of respiratory viruses in nonwinter seasons seems to be important in order to understand better the dynamic of their year-round circulation in NHs.

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Self-Sampling of Oropharyngeal Swabs Among Healthcare Workers for Molecular Detection of Respiratory Viruses: A Valuable Approach for Epidemiological Studies and Surveillance Programs

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2020.511669 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Galli ◽

Laura Pellegrinelli ◽

Gabriele Del Castillo ◽

Giovanni Forni ◽

Cecilia Eugenia Gandolfi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Molecular Detection ◽

Respiratory Viruses ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Influenza Viruses ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Surveillance Programs ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

This study aimed at assessing the validity of self-collected (self-sampled) oropharyngeal (OP) swabs among healthcare workers compared to those collected by trained sentinel general practitioners (GP-sampled) from individuals with influenza-like illness (ILI), to be implemented in epidemiological studies and/or surveillance programs of viral pathogens involved in community respiratory infections. In our study, OP swabs were collected from adults (>18 years) with ILI during the 2018–2019 influenza season. Two groups of samples were considered: group 1−131 self-sampled OP swabs collected by healthcare workers after being trained on the sampling procedure; group 2−131 GP-sampled OP swabs collected from outpatients by sentinel GPs operating within the Italian Influenza Surveillance Network. To assess swabbing quality, following RNA extraction, each sample was tested for the presence of the human ribonuclease P gene (RNP) by in-house real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Samples with a cycle threshold (Ct) <35 were considered adequate for further virological analysis. Influenza viruses (IVs), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and rhinovirus (RV) genomes were detected by in-house real-time RT-PCR. All samples were positive to RNP detection with Ct <35. The mean Ct value was similar in the two groups (group 1 vs. group 2: 25.93 ± 2.22 vs. 25.46 ± 2.40; p = 0.10). IVs, RSV, and RV positivity rates were 26.7 vs. 52.7% (p < 0.01), 7.6 vs. 9.9% (p = 0.52), and 21.4 vs. 19.9% (p = 0.76), respectively. Self-sampled OP swabs resulted as valid as GP-sampled OP swabs for molecular detection of respiratory viruses. Self-swabbing can thus be a worthwhile strategy for sample collection to implement molecular surveillance of respiratory pathogens and carry out epidemiological studies, easily reaching a larger population size.

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