Incidence of lower respiratory tract infection and associated viruses in a birth cohort in the Philippines.

BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and young children. However, the etiological role of viruses and the timing of developing LRTI are not well defined. METHODS: We analyzed the data of a prospective cohort study in the Philippines as a birth cohort. We detected LRTI among children who visited healthcare facilities with respiratory symptom, and collected nasopharyngeal swabs for virus detection. We analyzed the incidence rates (IRs) and cumulative proportion of LRTI and severe LRTI by age group and each virus detected. RESULTS: A total of 350 LRTI episodes were observed from 473 child-years yielded from 419 children. The IRs of LRTI were 70.8, 70.7, and 80.8 per 100 child-years for 0-5, 6-11, and 12-23 months of age, respectively. By 12 months of age, 45% of children developed LRTI at least once. Rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus were the most frequently detected viruses in all age groups. However, the IRs of influenza virus were low especially at 0-5 months of age. CONCLUSIONS: We identified various patterns of age-specific IRs of LRTI and severe LRTI for different viruses, which should be considered to establish more effective interventions including vaccinations.

Molecular Characterization of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children With Repeated Infections With Subgroup B in the Philippines.

Background: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe acute respiratory infection in infants and young children, which is characterized by repeated infections. However, the role of amino acid substitutions in repeated infections remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to elucidate the genetic characteristics of RSV in children with repeated infections using molecular analyses of F and G genes. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of children younger than 5 years in the Philippines. We collected nasopharyngeal swabs from children with acute respiratory symptoms and compared F and G sequences between initial and subsequent RSV infections. Results: We examined 1802 children from May 2014 to January 2016 and collected 3471 samples. Repeated infections were observed in 25 children, including 4 with homologous RSV-B reinfections. Viruses from the 4 pairs of homologous reinfections had amino acid substitutions in the G protein mostly at O-glycosylation sites, whereas changes in the F protein were identified at antigenic sites V (L173S) and θ (Q209K), considered essential epitopes for the prefusion conformation of the F protein. Conclusions: Amino acid substitutions in G and F proteins of RSV-B might have led to antigenic changes, potentially contributing to homologous reinfections observed in this study.