Community study using a polymerase chain reaction panel to determine the prevalence of common respiratory viruses in asthmatic and nonasthmatic children

We developed a sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel, suitable fo r the detection of seven common respiratory viruses, to study the prevalenc e of viruses in nasal swabs obtained from clinically stable asthmatic child ren (n = 21), non-physician diagnosed asthmatic children with exercise-indu ced bronchoconstriction (EIB) (n = 16), and nonasthmatic, non-EIB controls (n = 33). The PCR panel detected viruses in 43/70 (61.4%) specimens but the re were no significant differences in prevalence of these viruses between t he three groups of children. These results indicate that clinically stable asthmatic and nonasthmatic children frequently harbor viruses in the upper respiratory tract.