Viral etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized young children in Northern Taiwan.

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) comprise a great proportion of diagnoses among hospitalized children. This study identifies the viral pathogens causing LRTIs in young children and compares their clinical features and disease severity.

Methods: Children younger than 36 months old, hospitalized at a medical center in Northern Taiwan with acute bronchiolitis or pneumonia from April to December 2007, were prospectively enrolled.