Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is common in young children, but there are few data in Europe on influenza A virus as a cause of childhood CAP. The aim of this study was to determine the relative contributions of different etiologic agents to CAP in children.
Methods: This was a 6-month prospective study of pediatric accident and emergency and general practice consultations with a diagnosis of CAP. Nasopharyngeal aspirates for viral immunofluorescence and PCR studies and blood cultures for bacterial studies were taken from 51 children with symptoms, signs and chest radiographic features that satisfied a diagnosis of pneumonia.
Results: An etiologic agent was isolated from 25 patients (49%). A viral cause was identified in 22 patients (43%), and influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were detected in 16 and 18% of all cases, respectively. Only four patients (8%) had a positive bacterial blood culture; three had Streptococcus pneumoniae and one had Neisseria meningitidis W135. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was detected in 2 children, and mixed infections were detected in 5 (10%). The use of viral PCR increased the detection rate of influenza A virus by 100%.
Conclusion: Influenza A virus caused more than one-third of all viral CAP cases, a rate comparable with that of RSV CAP. Viral PCR doubled the diagnostic yield of influenza A virus. The clinical burden of influenza A CAP was comparable with that of RSV CAP, as measured by the duration of fever, hospital stay and total duration of illness.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.inf.0000092192.59459.8b | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Deciphering the therapeutic effects of Xiyanping injection: insights into pulmonary and gut microbiome modulation, SerpinB2/PAI-2 targeting, and alleviation of influenza a virus-induced lung injury.
Virol J
January 2025
Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100010, China.
Infection with Influenza A virus (IAV) induces severe inflammatory responses and lung injury, contributing significantly to mortality and morbidity rates. Alterations in the microbial composition of the lungs and intestinal tract resulting from infection could influence disease progression and treatment outcomes. Xiyanping (XYP) injection has demonstrated efficacy in clinical treatment across various viral infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine effectiveness against influenza-associated hospitalizations in adults with liver disease, 2015-2020: US Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network (HAIVEN).
Hum Vaccin Immunother
December 2025
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Influenza causes 100,000-710,000 hospitalizations annually in the U.S. Patients with liver disease are at higher risk of severe outcomes following influenza infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIRF1-RIG-I signaling defects in the aged alveolar epithelial cells may contribute to decreased pulmonary antiviral immune responses.
Mech Ageing Dev
January 2025
CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan Province, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan Province 475004, China. Electronic address:
Background: Alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) are the primary targets of many pathogens and play an important role in sensing viruses and regulating immunity. Yet, little is known about the antiviral responses in the aged AECs.
Methods: The responses of young or aged AECs after viral infection were analyzed using methods such as flow cytometry, quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot detection, and transwell chemotaxis assay.
Introduction: Interventions aimed at preventing and treating maternal infections during the gestational period are of paramount importance. Timely immunizations, screening strategies and management of maternal infections reduce the risk of complications for the developing fetus and play a pivotal role in improving neonatal outcomes.
Summary: We summarize evidence for a total of thirteen interventions, pertaining to the prevention and treatment of maternal infections during the antenatal period, from Every Newborn Series published in The Lancet 2014.
Lift-CM: An integrated lift-heater centrifugal microfluidic platform for point-of-care pathogen nucleic acid detection using isothermal amplification and CRISPR/Cas12a.
Biosens Bioelectron
January 2025
Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, PR China. Electronic address:
Pathogen nucleic acid detection technology based on isothermal amplification and CRISPR/Cas12a system offers advantages in terms of high sensitivity, high specificity, and rapidity. However, this method has not been widely applied because of its shortcomings in utilizing conventional instruments, which cannot satisfy the requirements for Point of Care Testing (POCT), such as integration, convenience, and miniaturization. In this study, we developed an integrated lift-heater centrifugal microfluidic platform (Lift-CM) to automate the processes of isothermal amplification and CRISPR/Cas12a detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!