SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF RESPIRATORY VIRAL-INFECTIONS - A 5-YEAR STUDY OF HOSPITALIZED-PATIENTS

The results of a five-year study of paired sera from 410 hospitalised patients mainly children - with respiratory illness are reported. Samp les were divided into groups based on clinical diagnosis. The data of each group were analysed in relation to patient age (under or over 1 y ear of age). The percentage of positive serological diagnoses ranged f rom 29.4% in the respiratory viral illness group to 46.2% in the bronc hiolitis group. Each group skewed a prevalent serological diagnosis. R espiratory viral illness patients over 1 year were diagnosed mainly wi th Influenza virus infection (73.8% positive diagnosis), pharyngotonsi llitis patients with Adenovirus infection (72.2%), laryngitis patients with Parainfluenza virus infection (100%), pneumonia patients with My coplasma pneumoniae infection (56.7%), and bronchiolitis patients with Respiratory Syncytial virus infection (100%). The serological diagnos is patterns of each group or subgroup were statistically significant w ith respect to the other groups (chi(2) or Fisher exact tests). Unlike previous reports, none of the patients under 1 year in our study was diagnosed with Influenza virus infection or Parainfluenza virus type 3 . Conversely, Respiratory Syncytial virus infection data were in line with previous reports, being the most frequently diagnosed infection i n the bronchiolitis group and in the subgroups of patients under 1 yea r of age. The present report provides new information on patterns of r espiratory infections.