Molecular characterisation of respiratory viruses among hospitalised children at Albina Patiño Hospital in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections are common diseases worldwide, mostly caused by viruses. The most affected population is children under five years of age, who have a higher risk of severe respiratory diseases associated with mortality. In Cochabamba, there was no published information about on respiratory virus circulation prior to the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: to detect and characterize respiratory viruses in pediatric patients hospitalized with respiratory infections at the "Albina Patiño" Pediatric Hospital. Methods: the study period was between September 2017 and August 2018, having included a population of 202 patients under five years of age. Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect and characterize respiratory viruses associated with respiratory infection. Results: 61,4% of the analyzed samples showed a positive result of respiratory virus. The results included: Adenovirus 1,5 %, Metapneumovirus 3,5 %, Influenza virus 8 %, Parainfluenza virus 9,9 % and RSV 35,7 %. The most common virus responsible for producing respiratory infections was RSV. The most affected group of infected children is those under two years old. The viral infections reached the full epidemic range between May and July 2018. Conclusions: it was possible to detect and characterize respiratory viruses in pediatric patients, showing a specific circulation pattern of these respiratory viruses for each population, even before the circulation of SARS-CoV-2. It is necessary to take into account that neighboring countries with similar climatological conditions may have a different circulation pattern.