Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To analyze the 7 species of common pathogens causing acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children in Zhongshan, Guangdong, from 2019 to 2023, and to provide references for preventive measures and clinical treatment of ARI.
METHODS A total of 14 261 children with ARI aged 14 years and younger, hospitalized in the Pediatric Department of Zhongshan City People′s Hospital from Jan. 2019 to Oct. 2022 and from Mar. to Dec. 2023, were selected as the study subjects. The positive detection rates of seven common respiratory pathogens were compared across three periods: pre-pandemic period (2019), pandemic control period (from 2020 to Oct. 2022) and normalization period (from Mar. to Dec. 2023) of COVID-19.
RESULTS The overall detection rates of pathogens were 59.72%, 37.83% and 85.82% in the pre-pandemic, control and normalization periods, respectively. The pathogens with the highest detection rates were Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) at 19.81%, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at 11.33%, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) at 9.53%, Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) at 5.90%, influenza A virus (FluA) at 3.49%, adenovirus (ADV) at 3.30% and Bordetella pertussis (BP) at 0.72%. The mixed infection rate was 8.46% in the pre-pandemic period, mainly involving "MP+Spn" and "Spn+RSV". During the pandemic control period, the mixed infection rates were 4.95%, 4.65% and 3.66%, respectively. After the pandemic normalization, the mixed infection rate rose to 17.75%, mainly involving "Hi+Spn" and "Spn+RSV". The detection rates of RSV were 7.82%, 11.90% and 14.44% in the pre-pandemic, control and normalization periods, respectively, with a delayed epidemic pattern observed. The detection rates of Spn were 26.47%, 17.45% and 16.99% in the three periods, respectively. The detection rates of MP were 12.53%, 1.83% and 24.17%, respectively, with a delayed outbreak observed.
CONCLUSIONS The prevention and control of COVID-19 involves non-pharmaceutical interventions, which are later lifted. The transmission of these seven common respiratory pathogens is affected, necessitating continuous monitoring of the pathogens.