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IDWeek
October 04, 2013
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Healthy children commonly diagnosed with respiratory viruses

SAN FRANCISCO — Respiratory viruses are often detected in asymptomatic children, according to study findings presented here.

“Viral upper respiratory infections (URIs) are the most common infectious diseases in children,” the researchers wrote. “The viruses that cause URI are well-known and may be detected in the nasopharynx of ill children. There are a paucity of data in the literature reporting the rate of detection of respiratory viruses in healthy (asymptomatic) children compared to children who have symptoms of URI.”

The study included 73 children aged 4 to 7 years to assess the relationship between bacterial colonization of the nasopharynx, acute viral URIs and sinusitis.

Overall, 353 nasal wash samples were obtained; 163 were obtained during well visits, 109 during acute URI and 81 during recovery. Forty-nine percent of all well children had a respiratory virus. The most commonly detected virus was rhinovirus (31%), followed by coronavirus (6%), bocavirus (2%), influenza virus (2%), adenovirus (2%), enterovirus (2%), parainfluenza (1%) and metapneumovirus (1%). Six percent of samples had more than one virus detected, and at visits for acute URIs, a virus was detected in 86% of samples.

Rhinovirus was positive in 43% of cases, followed by coronavirus (17%), bocavirus (3%), influenza virus (7%), adenovirus (3%), enterovirus (3%), parainfluenza (7%), metapneumovirus (2%) and respiratory syncytial virus (1%). Twelve percent of URI episodes had multiple viruses detected.

“These data suggest that children are frequently infected with respiratory viruses asymptomatically,” the researchers wrote. “Accordingly, the detection of a respiratory virus in a symptomatic child does not necessarily establish causality.”

For more information:

Demuri G. Abstract #1256. Presented at: ID Week 2013; Oct. 2-6, 2013; San Francisco.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.