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Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS‐endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012–2013
Author(s) -
Fagbo Shamsudeen F.,
Garbati Musa A.,
Hasan Rami,
AlShahrani Dayel,
AlShehri Mohamed,
AlFawaz Tariq,
Hakawi Ahmed,
Wani Tariq Ahmad,
Skakni Leila
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.24632
Subject(s) - rhinovirus , epidemiology , respiratory tract infections , respiratory system , middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus , medicine , respiratory tract , virology , middle east respiratory syndrome , virus , upper respiratory tract infection , pediatrics , immunology , covid-19 , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The emergence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia has intensified focus on Acute Respiratory Infections [ARIs]. This study sought to identify respiratory viruses (RVs) associated with ARIs in children presenting at a tertiary hospital. Children (aged ≤13) presenting with ARI between January 2012 and December 2013 tested for 15 RVs using the Seeplex R RV15 kit were retrospectively included. Epidemiological data was retrieved from patient records. Of the 2235 children tested, 61.5% were ≤1 year with a male: female ratio of 3:2. Viruses were detected in 1364 (61.02%) children, 233 (10.4%) having dual infections: these viruses include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (24%), human rhinovirus (hRV) (19.7%), adenovirus (5.7%), influenza virus (5.3%), and parainfluenzavirus‐3 (4.6%). Children, aged 9–11 months, were most infected (60.9%). Lower respiratory tract infections (55.4%) were significantly more than upper respiratory tract infection (45.3%) ( P < 0.001). Seasonal variation of RV was directly and inversely proportional to relative humidity and temperature, respectively, for non MERS coronaviruses (NL63, 229E, and OC43). The study confirms community‐acquired RV associated with ARI in children and suggests modulating roles for abiotic factors in RV epidemiology. However, community‐based studies are needed to elucidate how these factors locally influence RV epidemiology. J. Med. Virol. 89:195–201, 2017 . © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.