Influenza virus types and subtypes among pediatric patients having influenza like illness in summer season

Abstract

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) represent one of the major causes of childhood mortality and morbidity in Nepal. The Influenza virus is one of the common causes of viral ARIs and bacterial infection secondary to influenza contributes to majority of childhood death worldwide. However, the diagnosis of influenza virus infection is not routinely suggested in Nepal even for children clinically presenting with influenza like illness (ILI). Methods: With an aim to describe the status of viral influenza in Nepalese children with ILI, a throat swab and a nasal swab specimen were collected from each pediatric ILI patients visiting to the outpatient department of Kanti Children's Hospital (KCH). Viral influenza was diagnosed by rapid antigen detection test and further confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Among 200 ILI cases analyzed, 20 (10.0%) cases were confirmed as influenza A and 5 (2.5%) were confirmed as influenza B by rapid antigen detection test. Among 20 influenza A cases diagnosed by rapid test, 16 (80.0 %) were confirmed as A/H3 type and one was identified as pdm H1N109 by RT-PCR. Similarly, 3 out of 5 influenza B positive cases in rapid test were confirmed as influenza B by RT-PCR. Conclusion: Though, our study does not represent whole year data, this finding suggests routine influenza testing of all pediatric ILI cases.

Keywords

• Influenza like illness
• Influenza virus
• Rapid test