title: Clinical study concerning the relationship between community-acquired pneumonia and viral infection in northern Thailand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The etiological agents associated with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Thailand have been studied extensively in bacterial pathogens, but not in viral pathogens. To clarify the association of viral pathogens with CAP, we conducted a comprehensive study of viral and bacterial pathogens in patients with CAP.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 119 hospitalized patients with CAP in Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand between 2006 and 2008. The severity of pneumonia was classified and the risk factors for death were estimated. Bacterial and fungal pathogens were determined from specimens taken from blood and sputum, and viral pathogens were identified from nasopharyngeal specimens by RT-PCR using primers specific for 7 respiratory viruses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 29 patients were HIV-infected and 90 patients were non-HIV-infected. The microbial pathogens most commonly isolated among HIV-infected patients were: 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 4 Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 3 Haemophilus influenzae. Among non-HIV infected patients, predominant microbial pathogens were: 6 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 5 Haemophilus influenzae and 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae. As for viral pathogens for CAP, influenza virus was identified from 2 HIV-infected patients and 5 non-HIV infected patients. In addition, human rhinovirus (HRV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were identified from 2 patients each among non-HIV-infected patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that the most common viral agent was influenza virus (5%), followed by HRV (2%) and RSV (2%) among CAP patients in northern Thailand. The underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seems to be correlated with the severity of illness.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan. koyu@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koyu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yahara
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakazono
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Weerayut
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khositsakulchai
authors.forename: Tippaya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanchai
authors.forename: Banyong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khantawa
authors.forename: Prasit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tharavichitkul
authors.forename: Niwat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maneekarn
authors.forename: Thira
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sirisanthana
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D003139:Common Cold / Q000150:complications; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000209:etiology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000209:etiology; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000209:etiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000209:etiology; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D013785:Thailand; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral