Department of Pathology

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Browsing Department of Pathology by Subject "Acute respiratory infection"

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    Prevalence and risk factors of acute respiratory infection by human respiratory syncytial virus in children at Provincial General Hospital of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Cihambanya, Landry Kabego; De Beer, Corena; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Pathology. Medical Virology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) is the major cause of acute respiratory infection in children (ARI) and it is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality, especially in younger children. The present study had two main objectives. The first one was to determine the prevalence of HRSV and non-HRSV ARI in children under the age of 5 years at the Provincial General Hospital of Bukavu (PGHB). The second objective was to analyse factors associated with the risk of ARI to be diagnosed as lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). A total of 146 children under 5 years visiting the PGHB for ARI between August and December 2016 were recruited. A clinical examination was made and a questionnaire was completed by the parent or the guardian after which a nasopharyngeal swab was performed to collect respiratory fluid. The sample was analysed by a multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the detection of 15 different viruses, among which HRSV A and B, Influenza A and B, human Rhinovirus (HRV) A/B/C, Parainfluenza (PIV) viruses 1, 2, 3 and 4, Adenovirus (ADV), Bocavirus, Coronavirus OC43 and 229E/NL63, Enterovirus and human Metapneumovirus. Of 146 samples collected, 84 (57.5%) displayed a positive result of at least one of the 15 viruses. The overall prevalence of HRSV was 21.2%. HRSV A (30, 20.5%) was the virus the most detected, followed by HRV (24, 16.4%), PIV3 (20, 16.6) and ADV (7, 4.79%). The other viruses were detected in three or less cases. There were only 11 (7.5%) of co-infection. In bivariate analyses, HRSV infection, malnutrition, younger age, rural settings, low income and mother illiteracy were associated with the risk of ARI to be diagnosed as LRTI. However, in multivariate analyses, only HRSV infection and younger age predicted LRTI. Children with HRSV infection had 6.45 times higher odds to exhibit LRTI when compared to children without HRSV infection. Older children (by one month) had 6% lower odds of LRTI than younger children (adjusted odds ratio = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90 – 0.97, p-value = 0.004).