Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Associated Acute Respiratory Tract Infection in Hospitalized Children Younger Than 5 Years from Sri Lanka

Overview

Journal Front Microbiol

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Jul 12

PMID 37434712

Authors

Maduja V M Divarathna

Rukshan A M Rafeek

Adrian J Morel

Chathuri Aththanayake

Faseeha Noordeen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide.

Aim: This study aimed to describe the prevalence and seasonal patterns of RSV and to determine the actual and predictive association of RSV-associated ARTI and clinical, socio-demographic, and climatic risk factors in children < 5 years.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from 500 children < 5 years admitted to the Kegalle General Hospital, Sri Lanka between May 2016 to July 2018. RSV and RSV subtypes were detected using immunofluorescence assay and real time RT-PCR, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done for the data analysis using Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multiple binary logistic regression in the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 16.0.

Results: Prevalence of RSV-associated ARTI was 28% in children < 5 years. Both RSV subtypes were detected throughout the study period. RSV-B was the dominant subtype detected with a prevalence of 72.14%. RSV infection in general caused severe respiratory disease leading to hypoxemia. Compared to RSV-B, RSV-A infection had more symptoms leading to hypoxemia. Factors increasing the risk of contracting RSV infection included number of people living ( > 6), having pets at home and inhaling toxic fumes. The inferential analysis predicts RSV infection in children < 5 years with ARTI, with a 75.4% probability with clinical and socio-demographic characteristics like age < 1 year, fever for > 4 days, cough, conjunctivitis, stuffiness, fatigue, six or more people at home, having pets at home and inhaling toxic fumes. Climatic factors like increases in temperature (°C), wind speed (Km/h), wind gust (Km/h), rainfall (mm) and atmospheric pressure (mb) showed a strong correlation with the RSV infection in children.

Citing Articles

The Epidemiology, Clinical, and Economic Burdens of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections Amongst Hospitalized Children Under 5 Years of Age in Jordan: A National Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

Abu-Helalah M, Al-Shatnawi S, Abu Lubad M, Al-Zayadneh E, Jdaitawi H, Harahsheh M Viruses. 2025; 16(12.

PMID: 39772177 PMC: 11680125. DOI: 10.3390/v16121867.

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