title: [Influencing factors for duration of viral nucleic acid shedding in children with influenza A].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the features and duration of viral nucleic acid shedding in children with influenza A.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 90 children with influenza A with positive influenza A virus nucleic acid in nasopharyngeal swab detected by PCR were collected, and these children were divided into simple influenza A group (n=10), influenza A-pneumonia group (n=61), influenza A-nervous system damage group (n=10), and influenza A-underlying disease group (n=9). A retrospective analysis was performed for clinical features, treatment process, duration of viral nucleic acid shedding, and prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common symptoms in these children were fever (89/90, 99%), cough (89/90, 99%), running nose (69/90, 77%), shortness of breath (26/90, 29%), and myalgia (23/90, 26%). The mean duration of viral nucleic acid shedding in 90 children was 9.4±2.9 days. The simple influenza A group had a significantly shorter duration of viral nucleic acid shedding than the influenza A-pneumonia, influenza A-nervous system damage, and influenza A-underlying disease groups (p<0.05), while there were no significant differences between the influenza A-pneumonia, influenza A-nervous system damage, and influenza A-underlying disease groups (p>0.05). The children who received antiviral therapy within 48 hours after disease onset had significantly shorter duration of viral nucleic acid shedding and time to body temperature recovery than those who received antiviral therapy more than 48 hours after disease onset (p<0.05). Of all the children with body temperature recovery, 83% still tested positive for viral nucleic acid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complications, underlying diseases, and timing of antiviral therapy are influencing factors for the duration of influenza A virus nucleic acid shedding, and whether body temperature returns to normal cannot be used to decide whether to continue antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518038, China. djikui20212@sina.com.
authors.forename: Gao-Feng
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rui-Mu
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji-Kui
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D017201:Virus Shedding
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids