Investigation of the Frequency of Respiratory Viral Infections in Children with Acute Respiratory Symptoms Referred to Zahra Mardani Azar Children's Hospital, Tabriz in 1402

Abstract

Acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) is a major cause of illness in children that threatens their health. Viruses such as influenza virus (IFV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), metapneumovirus, bocaviruses (BoV), coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2 / HCoV- OC43 / HCoV-229E / HCoV-NL63 / HCoV-HKU1), rhinoviruses, and adenoviruses are among the common causes associated with viral respiratory tract infections in children worldwide. However, limited information is available on the frequency of infection with these viruses in northwest Iran, which requires further research in this field. Materials and Methods: 560 samples were collected from children referred to Zahra Mardani Azar Children's Hospital, Tabriz, then transferred to the laboratory in the vicinity of ice and stored at -70°C for a long time. To perform the test, DNA or RNA was first extracted and the extracted samples were tested by Real Time PCR and finally the results were analyzed according to the instructions specified by the kit. Findings: In this study, it was determined that 52.5% of the respiratory infections were caused by viruses, of which 38.03% of the patients were infected with only one virus, 12% of the patients were infected with two viral infections simultaneously, and 2.5% of the viruses were infected with three viruses simultaneously. The studies revealed that RSV is the most common cause of viral respiratory infections with a frequency of 13.1%, followed by rhinoviruses with a frequency of 10.71%, and then parainfluenza 1, 2, and 3 with a frequency of 46.9%, followed by adenovirus and bocavirus with a frequency of 78.6% and 71.5%, respectively, followed by metapneumovirus with a frequency of 92.3%, followed by influenza H3N2 with a frequency of 75.3%, H1N1 with a frequency of 3.03%, HCoV-OC43 with a frequency of 85.2%, SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-HKU1 with a frequency of 32.2%, followed by influenza B with a frequency of 14.2%, and HCoV-NL63 with a frequency of 1.07%.