Simultaneous viral infections in immunocompetent infants with bronchiolitis: a prospective study.

The nature of viral infection was prospectively investigated in 202 immunoc ompetent infants with bronchiolitis. Nasal aspirates were evaluated by immu nofluorescence assay viral isolation technique and polymerase-chain-reactio n-hybridization assay. In 55 infants (27 %) more than one respiratory virus were detected. A Rotavirus was found in 40 infants (20 %), without any rel ationship with the respiratory viral status, respiratory syncytial virus be ing the main virus (46/55), and the association of respiratory syncytial vi rus and adenovirus being the most frequent (21/55). No difference was found between monoviral infections on the one hand and simultaneous viral infect ions on the other hand according to age, weight, neonatal disease, past his tory of personal or familial atopy; central temperature, Silverman's index, oxygen dependency length of hospitalization, microbiology data. There was no indication that simultaneous virus infections were associated with an in creased severity of the bronchiolitis in immunocompetent infants. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.