Surveillance for Hospitalized Acute Respiratory Infection in Guatemala

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are an important cause of illness and death worldwide, yet data on the etiology of ARI and the population-level burden in developing countries are limited. Surveillance for ARI was conducted at two hospitals in Guatemala. Patients admitted with at least one sign of acute infection and one sign or symptom of respiratory illness met the criteria for a case of hospitalized ARI. Nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs were collected and tested by polymerase chain reaction for adenovirus, parainfluenza virus types 1,2 and 3, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B viruses, human metapneumovirus, Chlamydia pneumioniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Urine specimens were tested for Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen. Blood culture and chest radiograph were done at the discretion of the treating physician. Between November 2007 and December 2011, 3,964 case-patients were enrolled. While cases occurred among all age groups, 2,396 (60.4%) cases occurred in children <5 years old and 463 (11.7%) among adults ≥65 years old. Viruses were found in 52.6% of all case-patients and 71.8% of those aged <1 year old; the most frequently detected was respiratory syncytial virus, affecting 26.4% of case-patients. Urine antigen testing for Streptococcus pneumoniae performed for case-patients ≥15 years old was positive in 15.1% of those tested. Among 2,364 (59.6%) of case-patients with a radiograph, 907 (40.0%) had findings suggestive of bacterial pneumonia. Overall, 230 (5.9%) case-patients died during the hospitalization. Using population denominators, the observed hospitalized ARI incidence was 128 cases per 100,000, with the highest rates seen among children <1 year old (1,703 per 100,000), followed by adults ≥65 years old (292 per 100,000). These data, which demonstrate a substantial burden of hospitalized ARI in Guatemala due to a variety of pathogens, can help guide public health policies aimed at reducing the burden of illness and death due to respiratory infections.

Detection of Viruses and <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i> in Hospitalized Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection in Northern China, 2015–2016

“…RSV (8.68 ) was the most frequently detected virus in 2015, which was in agreement with reports from southern and eastern China (19,20) and an eastern Mediterranean region (21). However, the most commonly identified virus in 2016 was influenza, similar to another report (22), but different from a report that found HRV to be the most common respiratory virus (23). For the pediatric medicine ward and ICU, influenza was the most prevalent virus among all viral pathogens.…”

Viral etiology of acute respiratory infections among children under 5 years of age in Bulgaria, during the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons

“…In patients, diagnosed with ARI the most frequently detected virus was HRV -33 (16.75%) ( Table 3). (8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Coinfections in this study were identified in a relatively small percentage of cases (3.15%).…”

Origin, distribution, and potential risk factors associated with influenza A virus in swine in two production systems in Guatemala

“…Similar to other regions, in Guatemala, confinement of animals and increased population densities related to commercial farming practices seem to be important in the epidemiology of swine IAV. Other environmental factors that influence IAV transmission in tropical countries like Guatemala are not well defined; in humans the proportion of IAV cases usually reaches a peak during the rainy season (from May to August) and IAV transmission seem to be associated with specific humidity 30, 31, 32. Similar to humans, seasonal infections of IAV in backyard pigs are plausible, whereas in commercial farms, IAV infection may be directly linked to nature of the pig production cycle.…”