title: Acute respiratory illness in the community. Frequency of illness and the agents involved.
abstract: Investigations of respiratory illnesses and infections in Tecumseh, Michigan, USA, were carried out in two phases, together covering 11 years. During the second phase, there were 5363 person-years of observation. Respiratory illness rates in both males and females peaked in the 1-2 year age group and fell thereafter. Adult females had more frequent illnesses than adult males; illnesses were less common in working women than in women not working outside the home. Isolation of viruses fell with increasing age; rhinoviruses were the most common isolate. Influenza infection rates, determined serologically, suggested relative sparing of young children from infection with type A (H1N1) and type B. Infection rates were highest in adult age groups for type A (H3N2). The isolation and serological infection rates were used to estimate the extent to which laboratory procedures underestimated the proportion of respiratory illnesses caused by each infectious agent; data from other studies were also used in this estimation. Severity of respiratory illnesses was assessed by the proportion of such illnesses that resulted in consultation of a physician. Rhinoviruses produced the greatest number of consultations. Overall, physician consultations were associated with 25.4% of respiratory illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Monto
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012621:Seasons; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*