title: Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and influenza in children with respiratory infections in Alexandria, Egypt.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. Information about etiological agents of ARI in developing countries is still limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  Throat swabs collected from children hospitalized with ARI between December 2009 and May 2010 were investigated for Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and influenza viruses by molecular analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study conducted in Alexandria, Egypt, was designed to determine the prevalence of several microorganisms in 156 children hospitalized with ARI. Overall, samples from 76 individuals (49%) were found to be positive for at least one pathogen, and 10 of them were positive for two agents. C. pneumoniae was the most commonly detected agent, followed by M. pneumonia and H1N1 pandemic influenza virus. Positivity for C. pneumoniae was associated with colder months and mild disease of the upper respiratory tract such as laryngitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies are needed to identify other possible agents of ARI (e.g., RSV, adenoviruses, other bacterial infections) in this population and to better understand the causal role of atypical bacteria detected in respiratory samples.
authors.affiliation: National Public Health Institute, Rome, Italy. tiziana.grassi@guest.iss.it.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciervo
authors.forename: Maria Fenicia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Vescio
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazal
authors.forename: Housam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashour
authors.forename: Ezzeldin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Zalabani
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donatelli
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: El Sawaf
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*