VIRAL ETIOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS IN HOSPITALIZED SAUDI CHILDREN

A total of 1429 Saudi children of either sex and under 5 years of age who were admitted to King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh during a three year period (April 1993-March 1996) with complaints suggestive o f acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) were investigated for vira l aetiology of the infection. Viruses could be detected in 522 (37 per cent) cases with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) the most commonly detected (79 per cent) followed by parainfluenza type 3 (8 per cent). Detection of influenza A, Il and adenoviruses accounted for 6 per cent , 3 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. Except for parainfluenza vir us type 3 the peak of activity of the respiratory viruses was during t he winter months (October-February), Parainfluenza virus type 3 could be detected all year round but epidemics can occur in the hottest mont hs of the year (June-August) when the temperature can exceed 40 degree s C. Association between clinical manifestation, type of causative age nt, and age was evaluated in 137 infected Saudi children in the first year of the study (April 1993-March 1994), The majority of our cases p resented with bronchiolitis (58 per cent) while only 26 per cent had b ronchopneumonia, There was a significant association between bronchiol itis and lower age groups (0-6 months), with RSV as the major causativ e agent of bronchiolitis cases (88 per cent).