Epidemiological characteristics of respiratory pathogens among children with acute respiratory infections in Xuzhou from 2023 to 2024
10.3760/cma.j.cn112309-20241015-00350
- VernacularTitle:2023—2024年徐州地区急性呼吸道感染儿童呼吸道病原体流行病学特征
- Author:
He HUANG
1
;
Ruofan WU
;
Rui ZHANG
;
Xiaoying XI
;
Feng ZHU
Author Information
1. 徐州医科大学附属徐州儿童医院急诊科，徐州 221000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Respiratory infection;
Children;
Respiratory pathogens
- From:
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology
2025;45(5):407-413
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To analyze the infection status and epidemiological characteristics of respiratory pathogens in children with acute respiratory infections (ARI) at Xuzhou Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University from 2023 to 2024.Methods:This study enrolled the patients (aged 0-17 years) who visited the outpatient or emergency department or were hospitalized at Xuzhou Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University due to ARI from March 2023 to March 2024. Throat swab specimens of the patients were collected, and fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect influenza A virus (FluA), influenza B virus (FluB), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (HRV), human adenovirus (HAdV), and Myocoplasima pneumonia ( Mp). These patients were divided into five groups by gender: <1, 1-2, 3-5, 6-11, 12-17 years. Chi-square test was used to perform statistical analysis on the detection rates of respiratory pathogens among patients of different genders and ages, and across distinct seasons. Results:A total of 46 379 children were enrolled and among them, 27 418 children tested positive for respiratory pathogens, with a positive rate of 59.12%. Among the positive cases, 5 177 (18.88%) were infected with more than one respiratory pathogen, with the co-infection of Mp and HRV being the most common type, followed by Mp and HAdV co-infection. The pathogens, ranked from the highest to the lowest detection rates, were Mp (20.74%, 9 620/46 379), RSV (12.76%, 5 920/46 379), HAdV (11.64%, 5 399/46 379), HRV (11.24%, 5 213/46 379), FluB (8.23%, 3 815/46 379), and FluA (6.80%, 3 154/46 379). There were statistically significant differences in the detection rates of RSV, HRV and Mp among children of different genders (χ 2=11.85, 15.23, 16.36; all P<0.001). The differences in the detection rates of the six pathogens among different age groups were statistically significant (all P<0.001), and the detection rates of FluA, FluB, HRV, HAdV and Mp in children aged 0-5 years showed an upward trend with age (all P<0.001). The highest detection rates of FluA, FluB, HRV and HAdV were in the 3-5 years group, while the highest detection rate of Mp was in the 6-11 years group, which was 40.15% (4 615/11 495). The detection rate of RSV showed a decreasing trend with age ( P<0.001), with the highest detection rate observed in the <1 year group (25.02%, 2 208/8 826). There were statistically significant differences in the detection rates of the six pathogens in different seasons (all P<0.001). Conclusions:The overall detection rate of respiratory pathogens in children with ARI in Xuzhou from 2023 to 2024 is high. Single-pathogen infection is the predominant pattern, and the most prevalent pathogen is Mp. There are gender differences in the detection rates of RSV, HRV, and Mp. The detection rate of RSV decreases with age, while the detection rates of FluA, FluB, HRV, HAdV, and Mp increase with age among children aged 0-5 years. The prevalence of FluA, FluB, RSV, HRV, HAdV, and Mp all exhibit seasonal patterns.
