A prospective, community-based study on virologic assessment among elderly people with and without symptoms of acute respiratory infection.
OBJECTIVE
Community-based elderly studies concerning microbiology of acute respiratory infections are scarce. Data on subclinical infections are even totally absent, although asymptomatic persons might act as a source of respiratory infections.


METHODS
In a 1-year community-based study, we prospectively investigated the possible virologic cause of acute respiratory infections in 107 symptomatic case episodes and 91 symptom-free control periods. Participants, persons >/=60 years, reported daily the presence of respiratory symptoms in a diary. Virologic assessment was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology.


RESULTS
In 58% of the case episodes a pathogen was demonstrated, the most common being rhinoviruses (32%), coronaviruses (17%), and influenzaviruses (7%). The odds ratio for demonstrating a virus in cases with symptoms vs. controls without symptoms was 30.0 (95% confidence interval 10.2-87.6). In 4% of the symptom-free control periods a virus was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the importance of rhinovirus infections in community-dwelling elderly persons, whereas asymptomatic elderly persons can also harbor pathogens as detected by PCR, and thus might be a source of infection for their environment.
Graat
Judith M
JM
Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 4, P.O. Box 8129, 6703 HD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Schouten
Evert G
EG
Heijnen
Marie-Louise A
ML
Kok
Frans J
FJ
Pallast
Esther G M
EG
de Greeff
Sabine C
SC
Dorigo-Zetsma
J Wendelien
JW
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003154:Community Medicine; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission
D000914:Antibodies, Viral