[Epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus in patients with severe acute respiratory infection in Tianjin City from 2015 to 2020].

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) in Tianjin from 2015 to 2020. Methods: The study data were obtained from the Third Center Hospital of Tianjin, a designated sentinel hospital, from 2015 to 2020, with 1 597 SARI patients enrolled in this study. The clinical specimens of the research participants were subjected to respiratory multi-pathogen testing. HRSV-positive specimens were subtyped to analyze the differences in HRSV detection rates among cases of different age groups and periods and their mixed infection situations. Results: A total of 1 597 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected, with an HRSV detection rate of 4.20%. Among 67 HRSV-positive specimens, there were 19 pure HRSV-A nucleic acid-positive specimens, 19 pure HRSV-B nucleic acid-positive specimens and 29 mixed HRSV-A and HRSV-B nucleic acid-positive specimens. The difference in HRSV detection rate among different age groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), and the HRSV detection rate in children under five years old was higher than that in other age groups. From 2016 to 2020, the detection rate of HRSV showed an increasing trend year by year. The HRSV detection rate of SARI cases was highest in the winter season, at 7.15%. There were 10 (14.93%) mixed positive cases for HRSV and other viruses, of which four were mixed positive for HRSV and influenza A. Conclusion: The incidence of HRSV in Tianjin exhibits an increasing trend from 2016 to 2020, peaking during the winter season, with children under five years old constituting a high-risk demographic for HRSV infection.