Viral Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (ALRI) in Rural Bangladeshi Children Prior to the COVID‐19 Pandemic

• DOI: 10.1111/irv.70062
• Publication Date: 2024-12-20T02:38:33Z
• Authors: Megan E. Reller; Kayur Mehta; Eric D. McCollum; Salahuddin Ahmed; Jack Anderson; Arunangshu D. Roy; Nabidul Haque Cho...; Samir Saha; Lawrence H. Moulton; Mathuram Santosham; Abdullah H. Baqui
• Keywords: Pandemic

ABSTRACT Background Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) remain the leading infectious cause of death among children < 5 years, with viruses contributing to a large proportion cases. Little is known about epidemiology and etiology viral ALRI in rural Bangladesh. Methods We enrolled 3‐ 23‐month‐old ALRIs attending subdistrict hospital outpatient clinic Sylhet district Trained study physicians ascertained cases obtained nasopharyngeal swabs detect 19 by multiplex PCR using Luminex Integrated System NxTAG Respiratory pathogen panel. Results Between August 2016 September 2017, we 1477 children. Median age was 10 months; 58.1% were male. Forty‐seven percent presented during autumn (mid‐June mid‐October). About third had temperature ≥ 101°F, 95.4% cough previous 3 days, 72.0% fast breathing, 80.0% chest indrawing. Alveolar consolidation occurred 23.9%, 4.4% hypoxemic (saturation 90% on room air). Nineteen required hospitalization; 79.1% them discharged within 48 h. A virus identified 81.8%, majority (75.8%) single isolation. Rhinoenterovirus most commonly (HRV/HEV, 37.9%), followed syncytial (RSV, 20.2%) human metapneumovirus (hMPV, 11.7%). detected year‐round; RSV August–November hMPV December–March. Conclusions (82%) under 2 years presenting hospitals These findings have implications for future potentially surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, vaccine program planning, policy.