OBJECTIVETo probe into the relation between acute respiratory infection and enterovirus (EV), season, age and sex of children in Beijing area.

METHODSNasopharyngeal secretion samples from 402 inpatient children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) were obtained, and EV RNA was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The distribution of month, age and sex among the children positive for EV were analyzed.

RESULTSSeventy of the 402 cases were positive for EV RNA, the positive rate was 17.4 percent. The EV positive rate was 17.7 percent in children with lower respiratory tract infection, and 15.9 percent in children with upper respiratory tract infection. The EV positive rates were 0-36.1 percent in different months, which was the highest in the May (36.1 percent) and lower in December (4.3 percent). The positive rate of EV was 14.8 percent-21.9 percent in different age groups except for children 12 years of age and older, the positive rate was the lowest in the 4-6 years age group, and the highest in the 7 month-1 year age group. The EV infected boys and girls accounted for 16.2 percent and 19.7 percent of total numbers of boys and girls, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe EV positive rate was higher in children with lower respiratory infection, which suggests that EV may play an important role in ARI of children. The EV positive rate was higher from late spring to autumn. EV infection was common in children under 12 years of age. The rate of EV infection was not significantly different between boys and girls.