ABSTRACT
Las infecciones respiratorias agudas de etiología viral ocupan el primer lugar de morbilidad en la población pediátrica a nivel mundial. El propósito de este estudio fue identificar los virus respiratorios como agentes etiológicos de estas infecciones en los niños que consultaron al Servicio de Pediatría del Hospital Universitario de Caracas. Se incluyeron pacientes entre 0 y 11 años que consultaron por infecciones respiratorias agudas. Se realizó encuesta epidemiológica y clínica y se tomaron las muestras (hisopado nasofaríngeo) para identificación y aislamiento de los virus respiratorios (influenza A y B, para influenza 1, 2, y 3, adenovirus y virus sincitial respiratorio) por inmunofluorescencia y cultivo. Durante 7 años se evaluaron 583 niños, el estudio virológico fue positivo en 83 pacientes (14,2 por ciento) correspondiendo 72,3 por ciento al virus para influenza 1,15,7 por ciento virus influenza A, 6 por ciento influenza B, 4,8 por ciento adenovirus y 1,2 por ciento al virus para influenza 3. Los hallazgos coinciden con la epidemiología en el país para el período del estudio. Se demostró la circulación de los virus para influenza 1 y 3,influenza A y B y adenovirus.
Respiratory viral infections are the first cause of morbidity in children worldwide. The purpose of this study was to know the viral etiology of acute respiratory infections in the Pediatric Department of the Hospital Universitario de Caracas. We investigated children 0-11 years with acute respiratory infections for viral etiology. The diagnosis was made by identification of respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal swab (influenza A and B, parainfluenza 1,2, and 3, adenovirus and respiratory sincitial virus) by inmunofluorescence and culture. 583 patients were investigated. Respiratory viruses were detected in 14,2% cases, with parainfluenza type 1 virus the most commonly detected (72,3%), followed by influenza A 15,7%, influenza B 6%, adenovirus 4,8% and parainfluenza 31,2%. The virology results were similar to the epidemiological reports of the Health Services during the period of the investigation. It was demonstrated the circulation of parainfluenza viruses 1-3, influenza A and B and adenoviruses.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child , Adolescent , Respiratory Tract Diseases/etiology , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Influenzavirus A/immunology , Influenzavirus B/immunology , Respiratory System/injuries , Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human/isolation & purification , Bronchiolitis/pathology , Infections/epidemiology , Infections/immunology , Pneumonia/pathologyABSTRACT
Several studies conducted all over the world have reported that the influenza virus is associated with great morbidity and mortality rates. In this study, we analyzed the incidence of the influenza virus between 2000 and 2003 in Curitiba. We studied 1621 samples obtained from outpatients and hospitalized patients of both sexes and all ages. The study was conducted at the local primary care health units (outpatients) and at the tertiary care unit (hospitalized) of the General Hospital of the Federal University in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Nasopharyngeal aspirates and, eventually, bronchoalveolar lavage were assayed for the presence of viral antigens, either by indirect immunofluorescence or cell culture. Of the samples studied, 135 (8.3 percent) were positive for influenza virus, and of those, 103 (76.3 percent) were positive for type A and 32 (23.7 percent) for type B. Additionally, positive samples were analyzed by reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction and subtypes H1 and H3 were identified from this group. A high incidence of positive samples was observed mainly in the months with lower temperatures. Furthermore, outpatients showed a higher incidence of influenza viruses than hospitalized patients.