Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background and Aim: Respiratory tract infections are one of the important causes of death among children in developing countries. Although their frequency is similar in both developed and developing countries, mortality due to them is 10-50 times higher in developing countries. Viruses are common causes of these infections among children and Influenza, adeno and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are some of them. The aim of this survey was to evaluate of frequency of Adeno, Influenza A, B and Respiratory Syncytial virues in the pharyngeal secretion of children (3 months to 15 years old) with upper respiratory tract infection by rapid Immunochromatographic test.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out on children from
3 months to 15 years old with upper respiratory infection who visited the OPD of Hazrat Rasool-e-Akram hospital in one year (2006). Direct smear of patient’s throat was evaluated by rapid chromatography test for adenovirus, RSV and influenza A and B virus infection. SPSS V. 13 software was used to analyze the data t-test was used for data analysis.

Results: 160 children with upper respiratory tract infection with a mean age of 61.5 months were evaluated. 57.5% were boys and 42.5% were girls. 77.4% had fever, 66% had sore throat, 16.4% had abdominal pain, 10% had diarrhea, 15.7% had vomiting, 37.4% had cough, sneeze and nasal discharge, 13.8% had cevical lymphadenopathy, 27% pharyngeal exudate, 5.7% had petechea on palate and 1.9% had conjunctivitis. They were admitted: 24% in spring, 14.1% in summer, 23.1% in fall and 38.5% in winter.

Influenza infection was detected in 7 cases (4.4%) with mean age of 82.3 (SD ± 47.6) months. They were detected 28.6% in spring, 14.3% in summer and 57.1% in winter. Adenovirus infection was detected in 10(6.3%) cases with mean age of 83.7 (SD ± 58.5) months. They were detected 20% in spring, 30% in summer, 30% in fall and 20% in winter. RSV infection was detected in 9 (5.7%) cases with mean age of
54.7 months (SD ±50.7). They were detected 44.4% in spring, 44.4% in fall and 11.1% in winter.

Conclusion: In this study Adenoviruses were the most prevalent, followed by RSV and Influenza viruses. Fever was the most common clinical sign but in RSV sore throat, in Influenza cough, petechea and vomiting and in Adenovirus infection, cervical lymphadenopathy was the most prevalent symptom. Influenza in winter and RSV in spring and fall were the most prevalent infections, but Adenovirus did not obey seasonal pattern.