Journal
RESPIROLOGY
Volume 23, Issue 2, Pages 220-227Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/resp.13179
Keywords
co-infection; human respiratory syncytial virus; pneumococcus; respiratory tract infection; severity of illness index
Categories
Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council [1047663]
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background and ObjectiveRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most significant cause of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in early life. RSV and other respiratory viruses are known to stimulate substantial outgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the upper airways of young children. However, the clinical significance of interactions between viruses and bacteria is currently unclear. The present study aimed to clarify the effect of viral and bacterial co-detections on disease severity during paediatric ARI. MethodsNasopharyngeal aspirates from children under 2years of age presenting with ARI to the emergency department were screened by quantitative PCR for 17 respiratory viruses and the bacterial pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Associations between pathogen detection and clinical measures of disease severity were investigated. ResultsRSV was the most common virus detected, present in 29 of 58 samples from children with ARI (50%). Detection of S. pneumoniae was significantly more frequent during RSV infections compared to other respiratory viruses (adjusted effect size: 1.8, P: 0.03), and co-detection of both pathogens was associated with higher clinical disease severity scores (adjusted effect size: 1.2, P: 0.03). ConclusionCo-detection of RSV and S. pneumoniae in the nasopharynx was associated with more severe ARI, suggesting that S. pneumoniae colonization plays a pathogenic role in young children. High loads of bacteria colonizing the upper respiratory tract are often observed during paediatric respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The present study identified an association between co-detection of RSV and Streptococcus pneumoniae and more severe disease, suggesting the bacteria has a pathogenic role in these young children.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available