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

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) is the major cause of acute respiratoryinfection in children (ARI) and it is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality,especially in younger children. The present study had two main objectives. The firstone was to determine the prevalence of HRSV and non-HRSV ARI in children underthe age of 5 years at the Provincial General Hospital of Bukavu (PGHB). The secondobjective was to analyse factors associated with the risk of ARI to be diagnosed aslower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).A total of 146 children under 5 years visiting the PGHB for ARI between August andDecember 2016 were recruited. A clinical examination was made and aquestionnaire was completed by the parent or the guardian after which anasopharyngeal swab was performed to collect respiratory fluid. The sample wasanalysed by a multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for thedetection 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 andhuman Metapneumovirus.Of 146 samples collected, 84 (57.5%) displayed a positive result of at least one of the15 viruses. The overall prevalence of HRSV was 21.2%. HRSV A (30, 20.5%) wasthe 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 only11 (7.5%) of co-infection. In bivariate analyses, HRSV infection, malnutrition, youngerage, rural settings, low income and mother illiteracy were associated with the risk ofARI to be diagnosed as LRTI. However, in multivariate analyses, only HRSV infectionand younger age predicted LRTI. Children with HRSV infection had 6.45 times higherodds to exhibit LRTI when compared to children without HRSV infection. Olderchildren (by one month) had 6% lower odds of LRTI than younger children (adjustedodds ratio = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90 – 0.97, p-value = 0.004).

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University