Analysis on seven virus detection results of 15 636 children with respiratory tract infection in Wuhan Children's Hospital, 2019

  Objective  To analyze the epidemiologic characteristics of common respiratory virus infection in hospitalized children in Wuhan Children's Hospital from January to December 2019, and provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

  Methods  Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from the hospitalized children with respiratory infection from January to December 2019. Seven respiratory virus antigens of parainfluenza virus type 1, type 2, type 3 (PIV1, 2, 3), influenza virus A, influenza virus B, adenovirus (ADV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were detected by direct immunofluorescence assay, and the general information of the children were collected and analyzed.

  Results  A total of 15 636 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from the hospitalized children with respiratory infection in Wuhan Children's Hospital in 2019, and the total positive rate was 27.26%. The positive rates of RSV, ADV, PIV3, influenza virus B, influenza virus A, PIV1 and PIV2 were 8.58% (1 341/15 636), 8.06% (1 261/15 636), 6.47% (1 012/15 636), 1.27% (198/15 636), 1.20% (188/15 636), 1.15% (181/15 636), and 0.83% (129/15 636), respectively. The positive rate of RSV was highest. The overall positive rate of seven viruses in boys was higher than that in girls, and the difference was significant (χ²= 21.031, P<0.001). Among the seven viruses, only the positive rate of RSV in boys was higher than that in girls, and the difference was significant (χ²=12.442, P<0.001). There was no gender specific difference in the positive rate of other respiratory viruses (P>0.05). In all age groups, the detection rates in age groups 6 months-1 year and < 6 months were 33.85% (717/2 118) and 31.68% (1 027/3 242), respectively, which were significantly higher than those of other age groups. But there was no significant difference between age group < 6 months and age group 6 months-1 year (χ²=2.760, P=0.097). The overall positive rate was highest in spring and lowest in autumn, but the detection rate of RSV was higher in winter and spring. The detection rates of PIV3 and ADV were higher in summer and autumn with obvious seasonality. There were 48 cases of co-infections, and the most common co-infection type was PIV3 plus RSV, accounting for 50.00% (24/48).

  Conclusion  The overall positive rate of the seven viruses in children with respiratory tract infection in 2019 varied with gender, age and season in Wuhan, to which physicians should paid attention in clinical diagnosis.