title: Epidemiology, etiology, x-ray features, importance of co-infections and clinical features of viral pneumonia in developing countries.
abstract: Pneumonia is still the number one killer of young children globally, accounting for 18% of mortality in children under 5 years of age. An estimated 120 million new cases of pneumonia occur globally each year. In developing countries, management and prevention efforts against pneumonia have traditionally focused on bacterial pathogens. More recently however, viral pathogens have gained attention as a result of improved diagnostic methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, outbreaks of severe disease caused by emerging pathogens, discovery of new respiratory viruses as well as the decrease in bacterial pneumonia as a consequence of the introduction of highly effective conjugate vaccines. Although the epidemiology, etiology and clinical characterization of viral infections are being studied extensively in the developed world, little data are available from low- and middle-income countries. In this paper, we review the epidemiology, etiology, clinical and radiological features of viral pneumonia in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Center for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Rosello 132, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanaspa
authors.forename: Alicia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Annamalay
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: LeSouëf
authors.forename: Quique
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bassat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography