Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection among Children under 2 Years Old in Hillah City, Iraq

Abstract

Objective: To reveal the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated with lower respiratory system infections (LRI) in children under 6 years old.

Methods: RSV antigen was detected in the children aged less than 2 years by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), performed on nasopharyngeal specimens from children admitted to children and maternity hospital in addition to those who came to outer clinic in Al-Hillah city, Iraq.

Results: Among children aged < 2 years, the incidence of RSV-associated LRI per 350 child-years was 68 positive cases. The majority of RSV cases occurred in infants.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that RSV contributes to variable burden of LRI in children aged < 2 years in Al-Hillah city, Iraq. The probable descriptions for this deviation are social factors, patterns of seeking health care and differences in clinical characterizations used for obtaining samples. The age distribution of cases indicates the need for an RSV vaccine that can protect children early in life.

Keywords: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); Respiratory tract infections (RTI); Infant.