title: Viral pathogens of acute lower respiratory tract infection in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the viral etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRIs) in Chinese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children Hospital, Zhejiang University, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  34885 children with ALRI between January 2001 to December 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from all subjects. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (ADV), type 1 to 3 parainfluenza viruses (PIV), and type A and B influenza virus (Flu) were detected by direct immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Viruses were identified in 32.3% cases, including RSV (23.6%), PIV 3 (4.3%), Flu A (2.0%), ADV (1.7%), PIV I (0.6%), Flu B (0.2%) and PIV 2 (0.1%). RSV and PIV 3 predominated in younger children while Flu A and Flu B predominated in older children (P<0.001, respectively). PIV 1 was more prevalent in children aged 1 to 3 years. The peak frequency of RSV, PIV 3 and Flu A were in early spring, June to August, and August and September, respectively. Flu B had a peak in the winter and spring. Adenovirus infections occurred in all seasons with a relatively constant frequency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Viruses are an important cause of ALRIs in Chinese children constituting 1/3 of total cases. RSV is the most common pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lan Fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Tian Lin
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhi Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010223:Parainfluenza Virus 2, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010224:Parainfluenza Virus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology