title: Acute lower respiratory tract infections and respiratory syncytial virus in infants in Guinea-Bissau: a beneficial effect of BCG vaccination for girls community based case-control study.
abstract: Among measles unvaccinated infants in Guinea-Bissau, we tested whether case infants with acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI), especially ALRI caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), were more likely to be Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG)-unvaccinated and to have no scar after BCG vaccination than were control infants without symptoms of ALRI. Three hundred and eighty-six case infants with ALRI were identified at a paediatric clinic (N=84), a health centre (N=82), and in a community morbidity surveillance system (N=220). Control infants were matched on sex, age, and district and were also measles unvaccinated. In ALRI case infants, the adjusted OR of being BCG unvaccinated was 2.87 (1.31-6.32), 1.72 (0.48-6.19) in boys and 4.45 (1.48-13.4) in girls. Among BCG vaccinated ALRI case infants, the adjusted OR of having no BCG scar was 1.54 (0.86-2.75), 0.93 (0.45-1.91) in boys and 2.70 (1.21-6.02) in girls. In ALRI case infants with RSV infection, similar trends were observed. BCG vaccination may have a non-targeted protective effect against ALRI, the effect being most marked in girls.
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Apartado 861, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. lgn@ssi.dk
authors.forename: Lone Graff
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Stensballe
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nante
authors.forename: Inge Panum
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Poul-Erik
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Kofoed
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Newport
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchant
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
mesh_terms: D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines