Acute respiratory infections in ambulatory malnourished children: a serological study - abstract

ABSTRACT

Fifteen million children under five years of age die each year. Ninety-six per cent of them in "The Third World", and the majority die of acute respiratory infection (ARIs) and/or malnutrition. We therefore studied the aetiological agents of acute respiratory infections occurring in an ambulatory population of 83 malnourished Jamaican-born children, aged 6 to 32 months, using serological methods for the diagnosis. In 60 per cent (38/63) of symptomatic children and in 25 per cent (5/20) of those without reported disease, the following micro-organisms were observed para influenza viruses in 15 children, influenza viruses in 12, adeno viruses in 10, respiratory syncitial viruses in 7 and Mycoplasma pnuemoniae in 7 children. The prevalence of the viral ARIs increased with the severity of malnutrition. This probably reflects the T-cell immunodeficiency which accompanies protein-energy malnutrition (AU)