Sigvard Wolontis

Respiratory Syncytial Virus An Outbreak of Acute Respiratory Illnesses in a Home for Infants

A report is given of an outbreak of acute respiratory illness in a home for infants in Stockholm. Respiratory syncytial (RX) virus was recovered from nasopharyngeal and/or throat swabs from 13 out of 15 infants (1–13 months old). Complement fixation (CF) tests against RS antigen showed at least 4‐fold rises of antibody titre in 7 out of 15 paired sera, including sera from two infants, from whom no virus was isolated. There was no rise in CF antibody titre against adenovirus, influenza A and B, parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3, mumps or herpes simplex antigens. RS virus was recovered 2 days before the onset of illness as well as 9 days afterwards. The incubation period was estimated to be from 3 to 5 days.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in young hospitalized children. Identification of risk patients and prevention of nosocomial spread by rapid diagnosis.

ABSTRACT. Detection of RSV by immunofluorescence was used for rapid confirmation of the diagnosis in 89 infants during an epidemic. This made it possible to plan the care of the patients and use the personnel in an optimal way in order to maintain nosocomial infection at a low level. Somatic and environmental risk factors connected with serious disease were also identified. The course of the disease was more severe in children with chronic illnesses or those who had had perinatal complications. Allergy was more frequently reported by these families. Breast feeding for at least two months was practised in most families.

Acute Respiratory Illness with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae An Outbreak in a Home for Children

An outbreak of acute respiratory illness, in a few cases combined with primary atypical pneumonia (P.A.P.), occurred in August‐October 1964 in a home for children in Stockholm. Seventeen out of 22 children (age 1–12 years) fell ill during the observation period, four of them twice.

ACUTE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS IN CHILDREN. A SEROLOGICAL STUDY WITH VIRAL AND BACTERIAL ANTIGENS.

I n a previous study in Stockholm of acute respiratory illness in children, a probable etiology (virus and/or bacteria) could bc demonstrated in one-third of the cases a t that time [18]. However, tests for infections with ~xwainfluenza and respiratory syncytial (RS) viruses Here not included. Information on such virus infections in Swedish children is hitherto lacking. Investigations from other countries have shown tha t these groups of viruses cause a great deal of acute respiratory tract diseases in childhood [2-4, 7 , 8) .

Antibodies Against Respiratory Viruses Among Healthy Children

In recent years many viruses have been adtled to t h e list of agents causing acute respiratory illnebs in man. In Sweden the occurrence of adenovirus infections among children has been studied since 1954 [15]. but data on the frequency of infections with more recently detected viruses such as the parainfluenza and the respiratory syncytial (Its) viruses not t o mention the rhino-coryza group have hitherto been scarce in our country. This paper concerns a survey of the incidence of complement fixing (CF) antibodies against parainfluenza viruses 1, 2 and 3 and respiratory syncytial virus as well as antibodies against the group antigens of influenza A and B and adenoviruses in healthy children. Mumps was also included since cross reactions between th is virus and the parainfluenza group have been reported [l, 9. 111.

Adenovirus Type 5 Infections

It is well known that adenovirus types and serological tests against a number of 1, 2 and 5 are common among infants and antigens (viruses, Mycoplasma pneumosmall children [l , 2, 4, 5, 9, 11-17, 221. niae and bacteria) i t was possible to rule However, the association of these types out many of the other infections common of adenovirus with illness has been in infants. debated. Sutton [21] and Gardner [7] for instance could not find any correlation between the isolation of adenovirus type 5 and acute respiratory illness in nursery children. Bell et al. [ 2 ] in a three-year investigation of nursery children found that, among 16 different types of adenovirus isolated, only types 1, 3 and 5 were definitely correlated with febrile illness. One of our previous studies [16] in a children’s hospital over a one year period showed that in children aged 6 months to 3 years the excretion of adenovirus types 1, 2 and 5 was significantly correlated to the presence of acute respiratory illness on admission. This report will deal with an outbreak of febrile pharyngitis in a home for infants in May 1965, during which we were able to demonstrate the presence of adenovirus type 5 infection. Using virological and bacteriological methods, including bacterial cultures, attempts a t virus isolation Material and Methods