SURVEILLANCE OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED VIRAL-INFECTIONS DUE RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN RHONE-ALPES (FRANCE) DURING WINTER 1994 TO 1995

Nasal swab samples from patients with acute flu-like illness were eval uated for the presence of respiratory viruses in the Rhone-Alpes regio n of France from 1 October 1994 through 2 May 1995. The relative frequ encies and seasonal distributions of the specific viruses were assesse d. In addition, virus type was correlated with specific clinical signs and symptoms. During the study, 962 samples were collected by 75 medi cal practitioners participating in the Groupe Regional d'Observation d e la Grippe surveillance network. One or more viruses were detected fr om 348 samples (36.1%), including 108 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV ), 64 influenza virus A type H3N2, 47 influenza virus B, 64 coronaviru s, 35 rhinovirus, 22 adenovirus, 5 enterovirus, and 3 parainfluenza st rains. There were 16 mixed infections. RSV infections peaked in the ea rly winter, and influenza viruses A and B infections peaked during the late winter and early spring. There were two peaks of coronavirus inf ections (late fall and late winter). Other viruses were detected at lo wer levels throughout the study period. Patients from whom adenovirus was isolated were significantly more likely to have a fever of >39.5 d egrees C than were patients with other detectable viruses (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between influenza an d cough (P < 0.01) and RSV and bronchiolitis (P <.001). Thus, the curr ent study defined the overall and relative frequencies of respiratory virus detection from nasal swab specimens in patients with an acute fl u-like illness in the Rhone-Alpes region of France during a 7-month pe riod. Correlation with clinical signs and symptoms and provisional con clusions regarding seasonality were also determined.