Adenovirus respiratory tract infections in Peru.

Background: Currently, there is a paucity of data regarding human adenovirus (HAdv) circulation in Andean regions of South America. To address this shortcoming, we report the clinical, phylogenetic, and epidemiologic characteristics of HAdv respiratory tract infection from a large sentinel surveillance study conducted among adults and children in Peru.

Methods/principal Findings: Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from participants visiting any of 38 participating health centers, and viral pathogens were identified by immunofluorescence assay in cell culture.

Sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness in two hospitals in Maracay, Venezuela: 2006-2010.

Background: Limited information exists on the epidemiology of acute febrile respiratory illnesses in tropical South American countries such as Venezuela. The objective of the present study was to examine the epidemiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) in two hospitals in Maracay, Venezuela.

Methodology/principal Findings: We performed a prospective surveillance study of persons with ILI who presented for care at two hospitals in Maracay, Venezuela, from October 2006 to December 2010.

Human metapneumovirus strains circulating in Latin America.

The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is responsible for acute respiratory tract infections in young children, elderly patients, and immunocompromised hosts. In this study, we genetically analyzed the circulating HMPV in Central and South America from July 2008 to June 2009 and characterized the strains present in this region. Samples were collected during an international collaborative influenza like illness surveillance study and then sequenced with specific primers for the HMPV G gene.

Influenza and other respiratory viruses in three Central American countries.

Background: Despite the disease burden imposed by respiratory diseases on children in Central America, there is a paucity of data describing the etiologic agents of the disease.

Aims: To analyze viral etiologic agents associated with influenza-like illness (ILI) in participants reporting to one outpatient health center, one pediatric hospital, and three general hospitals in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua Material &

Methods: Between August 2006 and April 2009, pharyngeal swabs were collected from outpatients and inpatients. Patient specimens were inoculated onto cultured cell monolayers, and viral antigens were detected by indirect and direct immunofluorescence staining.

Changes in the viral distribution pattern after the appearance of the novel influenza A H1N1 (pH1N1) virus in influenza-like illness patients in Peru.

Background: We describe the temporal variation in viral agents detected in influenza like illness (ILI) patients before and after the appearance of the ongoing pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) in Peru between 4-January and 13-July 2009.

Methods: At the health centers, one oropharyngeal swab was obtained for viral isolation. From epidemiological week (EW) 1 to 18, at the US Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD) in Lima, the specimens were inoculated into four cell lines for virus isolation.