Pathogen distribution and epidemiological characteristics of acute respiratory infections in hospitalized children：a single-center study in Shanghai in 2023
10.3760/cma.j.cn112309-20250113-00013
- VernacularTitle:2023年上海单中心儿童急性呼吸道感染住院病例病原分布及流行特征分析
- Author:
Yuan FANG
1
;
Jie WANG
;
Anna CHENG
;
Yuzhe GUO
;
Weiqin JIANG
;
Lijiao LIU
;
Leijun MENG
;
Yujuan HUANG
Author Information
1. 上海市儿童医院，上海交通大学医学院附属儿童医院急诊科，上海200062
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Respiratory tract infection;
Respiratory pathogens;
Children;
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- From:
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology
2025;45(10):817-825
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To analyze the distribution and epidemiological characteristics of non-bacterial pathogens in hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Shanghai during 2023.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 10 591 children with acute respiratory tract infections who were hospitalized in Shanghai Children's Hospital from January to December 2023. A multiplex PCR combined with capillary electrophoresis platform was used to detect 11 common non-bacterial respiratory pathogens（including viruses and atypical pathogens）. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 29.0 software. Qualitative data were presented as numbers and percentages，and the Chi-square test was employed to make comparisons between groups，aiming to analyze the differences in the distribution of different pathogens according to gender，age group，and season. Additionally，based on the severity of the disease，patients were calssified into a severe pneumonia group and a non-severe pneumonia group to further explore the characteristics of the pathogen spectrum of severe pneumonia.Results:The total detection rate of pathogens was 54.39%（5 760/10 591），and the proportion of mixed infections was 12.76%（735/5 760）. The dominant pathogens and their proportions were as follows： Mycoplasma pneumoniae（19.20%，2 034/10 591），human rhinovirus（12.16%，1 288/10 591），influenza A virus（8.31%，880/10 591），and respiratory syncytial virus（8.14%，862/10 591）. Epidemiological characteristics showed that：（1）In terms of age： Mycoplasma pneumoniae was more common in older children（29.55%，901/3 049，in the school-age group，χ 2 = 653.67， P<0.001）. Influenza A virus had a high incidence in the adolescent group（11.34%，45/397，χ 2=48.69， P<0.001）. Respiratory syncytial virus was most susceptible in the infant group（20.94%，280/1 337，χ 2=739.92， P<0.001）. Human rhinovirus showed the characteristic of general susceptibility across all ages.（2）Monthly and seasonal distribution： Mycoplasma pneumoniae had a seasonal epidemic in summer and autumn（it began to rise in May and peaked in October at 34.22%，439/1 283）；influenza A virus had a bimodal distribution in spring and winter（the peak was 37.15% in March，315/848）；respiratory syncytial virus had a dominant epidemic in spring and summer（the detection rate was 21.24% in May，206/970），and human rhinovirus was prevalent throughout the year.（3）Clinical correlation：The detection rate of pathogens in the severe pneumonia group was significantly higher than that in the non-severe group：84.19%（426/506） vs 2.89%（5 334/10 085），χ 2=56.23， P<0.001. Conclusions:In 2023，the pathogen spectrum of hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections in the Shanghai area exhibits an epidemic pattern dominated by Mycoplasma pneumoniae，and its transmission dynamics are significantly age-dependent. This study delineates the pathogen-host-environment tripartite interactions，establishing an evidence-based foundation for formulating precision diagnostic-therapeutic algorithms and seasonal nosocomial infection prevention frameworks.
