Severe lower respiratory tract infection in infants and toddlers from a non-affluent population: viral etiology and co-detection as risk factors.

Background: Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a major cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, especially among non-affluent communities. In this study we determine the impact of respiratory viruses and how viral co-detections/infections can affect clinical LRTI severity in children in a hospital setting.

Methods: Patients younger than 3 years of age admitted to a tertiary hospital in Brazil during the months of high prevalence of respiratory viruses had samples collected from nasopharyngeal aspiration.