Viruses associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections in children from the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea (1983-1985).

This study, conducted at Goroka Hospital from January 1983 to June 1985, examined the viruses identified in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) and urines collected from 716 hospitalised children with moderate or severe pneumonia, in NPA from 170 children with mild pneumonia treated as outpatients and in NPA from a control group of 428 children attending the outpatient department of Goroka Hospital suffering from minor ailments other than upper or lower respiratory tract infections. One or more viruses were identified from 68%, 51% and 43% of children with moderate or severe pneumonia, mild pneumonia and the control group, respectively. One-third of viruses were identified in conjunction with another virus in both control and sick children. Viral identification rates were highest in children under 1 year of age. Cytomegalovirus, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), measles and rhinoviruses were the most frequently identified viruses. RSV was associated with mild as well as moderate and severe disease. No virus was associated with an increased risk of death. Annual epidemics of RSV occurred during the wet season. An epidemic of influenza A virus and also influenza B virus and 3 epidemics of parainfluenza 3 virus occurred during the study period. The high viral identification rates in this study suggest a high frequency of transmission associated with the social structure and environment of Papua New Guinean highland villages and high population mobility.

An outbreak of influenza a in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

In December 1982 and the early months of 1983, there was increased reporting of influenza-like illness from hospitals and health centres across the highlands region of Papua New Guinea. During this period, which fell in the highland wet season, influenza A viruses were isolated in routine surveillance specimens from a population of monitored children in the Goroka area in the Eastern Highlands. Influenza A viruses were also isolated in the investigation of a nearby rural outbreak of influenza-like illness. Samples of viruses isolated in these investigations were serotyped as most resembling the A/Philippines/2/82 strain. The contribution of these findings to the epidemiology of influenza in tropical countries, the role of influenza in the pathogenesis of pneumonia and possible interactions with bacteria and porcine influenza strains was discussed.