Acute respiratory infections of viral origin in the children of Algiers, Algeria based on a seroepidemiological study
Kadi, Z.; Bouguermouh, A.; Belhocine, Z.; Hamlaoui, M.; Kermani, S.; Bakouri, S.; Chaulet, P.; Hadji, N.
Revue Roumaine de Virologie 41(3-4): 197-207
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 1018-0532 PMID: 2099830 Document Number: 360820
401 double serum samples from 0 to 14 year old children with acute respiratory diseases (ARD) were analysed in view to establish the viral etiology. 198 (49.4%) out of the 401 were positive. The syncytial respiratory virus (SRV) was the most frequent (29.8%) among the positives, followed by the parainfluenzae virus type 3 (24.7), the influenza A virus (23.7%), the parainfluenzae type 1 (8.5%), the influenza B (7%) and the parainfluenza type 2 (2%). Seven samples out of 109 were positive for adenovirus. The SRV infections were very frequent before one year of age and after six. The parainfluenza virus type 3 was found mostly during the second year of life and was different in this from the types 1 and 2 prevalent after the age of six. The SRV is responsible for subglottic ARD (73%), as well as the parainfluenza virus type 3 (68.5%), the influenza virus types A (69%) and B (61.5%). On the contrary, the parainfluenza viruses types 1 (70%) and 2 (67%) attacked especially the upper respiratory tract. Studies were also worked out on the effects of season, sex, antibiotherapy, as well as on the viruses most incriminated in hospitalization.