Prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus in Egyptian pediatric patients suffering from pneumonia

Background and study aim: Respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] is one of the major causes of viral respiratory tract disease in young children and infants. In children less than one year-old, it was the principal cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia and, a common cause of hospitalization in young children. We aim to study the prevalence of RSV and its subtypes in pediatric patients suffering from pneumonia and broncho-pneumonia with the evaluation of routinely used method for diagnosis

Patients and Method: This study included 68 patients, attended the pediatric hospital, faculty of medicine-Cairo University at the period between 2007-2008, who exhibited lower respiratory tract symptoms in the form of pneumonia and bronchopneumonia. They were subjected to clinical examination, chest X-ray examination. Nasopharyngeal aspirate [NPA] samples were taken and sent to National Cancer Institute for microbiological, virological and molecular examinations

Results: High prevalence of RSV 85% [58/68] was detected, of these, 21% [12/58] were group A, 36% [21/58] were group B, and 43% [25/58] were subtype A and B. Highly affected children were from 2-3 months [44.8%] and rate of infection decreased as age increasing. RSV infection was statistically significant with some clinical findings and radiological findings

Conclusion: RSV is an important etiological agent causing pneumonia and bronchopneumonia in infancy. RT-PCR for NPA was a good method in detecting virus and may provide important information in establishing the etiology and improving management of the patients

Frequency and detection of respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in children by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

Respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] is one of major causes of viral respiratory tract disease in young children and infants. We aimed to study the frequency of respiratory syncytial virus and its subtypes in pneumonia and bronchopneumonia in pediatric patients less than two years old tested by nested polymerase chain reaction with the evaluation of routinely used methods of diagnosis which are clinical manifestations and chest X-ray. The study included 70 patients exhibited lower respiratory tract symptoms in the form of pneumonia and bronchopneumonia. Their age ranged from two months to eighteen months. All participants were subjected to clinical examination, chest X-ray examination, nasopha-ryngeal aspirate [NPA] samples for microbiological examination and nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus. RSV was highly prevalent infection in our studied patients, as 60 patients [86%] out of 70 were positive. Children from 2-3 months were highly affected [43.3%] and rate of infection decreases with increase of age. RSV infection was statistically significant with some clinical findings and radiological findings. RSV is the most important etiological agent causing pneumonia and bronchopneumonia in infancy. Na-sopharyngeal aspirate is a sensitive method in detecting viral infection during infancy. Nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction which is rapid and reliable technique may provide important diagnostic information in establishing the etiology and improving management of the patients