Resumo

ALVAREZ CAMACHO, Marisabel; MARQUEZ BERRIOS, María Teresa  e  CACERES, Beatriz. Aislamiento e identificación de agentes virales en niños con infecciones respiratorias agudas. Arch Venez Puer Ped [online]. 2008, vol.71, n.3, pp.79-85. ISSN 0004-0649.

Introduction: Respiratory viral infections are the first cause of morbidity in children worldwide. The purpose of this study was to know the viral etiology of acute respiratory infections in the Pediatric Department of the “Hospital Universitario de Caracas”. Methods: We investigated children 0-11 years with acute respiratory infections for viral etiology. The diagnosis was made by identification of respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal swab (influenza A and B, parainfluenza 1, 2, and 3, adenovirus and respiratory sincitial virus) by inmunofluorescence and culture. Results: 583 patients were investigated. Respiratory viruses were detected in 14,2 % cases, with parainfluenza type 1 virus the most commonly detected (72, 3%), followed by influenza A 15,7%, influenza B 6%, adenovirus 4,8% and parainfluenza 3 1,2%. Conclusions: The virology results were similar to the epidemiological reports of the Health Services during the period of the investigation. It was demonstrated the circulation of parainfluenza viruses 1- 3, influenza A and B and adenoviruses.

Palavras-chave : acute respiratory infections; viral isolation; viral identification; respiratory viruses; “ARI” in children.