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Background <p>Respiratory tract infections are a major global health concern for children, characterized by significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in resource-limited regions. This study investigated the descriptive epidemiology of common respiratory pathogens among children in Xinjiang, China.</p> Methods <p>This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 2364 pediatric outpatients and emergency department visitors aged 0–14 years with respiratory infections from September 2023 to December 2023. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected and analyzed using multiplex PCR for six common pathogens: <i>influenza A virus</i> (IFVA), <i>influenza B virus</i> (IFVB), <i>respiratory syncytial virus</i> (RSV), <i>adenovirus</i> (ADV), <i>human rhinovirus</i> (HRV), and <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i> (MP). The distribution of pathogens among different age groups was evaluated.</p> Results <p>No significant sex-based differences were observed in the detection of IFVA, IFVB, RSV, MP, HRV, and ADV (<i>P</i> &gt; 0.05). Among the nasopharyngeal swab samples, 58% (1371/2364) were positive for a single respiratory pathogen, 21.8% (516/2364) for two pathogens, 3.3% (78/2364) for three pathogens, and 0.3% (6/2364) for four pathogens. Notably, IFVA had the highest detection rate (32.6%) among the single infections. HRV was the most frequently identified virus, accounting for 34.8%, followed closely by IFVA at 31.4% and RSV at 20.3%. ADV was detected in 10.4% of cases, while MP and IFVB were found in 8.7% and 7.1% of samples, respectively. The highest pathogen detection rates were observed in children aged 3 to 7 years. Among the co-infections, dual pathogen infections predominated, comprising 86.0% of instances; notably, the combination of IFVA and HRV accounted for 23.3% of these cases. Triple pathogen infections represented 13% of co-infections, with combinations such as RSV, HRV, and ADV being the most prevalent.</p> Conclusion <p>This study highlights the epidemiological profile of respiratory pathogen infections among pediatric outpatients and emergency visitors in Xinjiang, revealing crucial age-specific trends and co-infection patterns. Despite limitations inherent to its single-center, retrospective design, these findings provide a valuable baseline for informing local surveillance and guiding preventive strategies in community healthcare settings.</p> Trial registration <p>Not applicable.</p>

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Descriptive epidemiology of common respiratory pathogen infections in children: a retrospective cross-sectional study in Xinjiang, China

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月30日

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  • Yahao Chen,
  • Yanhua Zeng,
  • Yan Liu

摘要

Background

Respiratory tract infections are a major global health concern for children, characterized by significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in resource-limited regions. This study investigated the descriptive epidemiology of common respiratory pathogens among children in Xinjiang, China.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 2364 pediatric outpatients and emergency department visitors aged 0–14 years with respiratory infections from September 2023 to December 2023. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected and analyzed using multiplex PCR for six common pathogens: influenza A virus (IFVA), influenza B virus (IFVB), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (ADV), human rhinovirus (HRV), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). The distribution of pathogens among different age groups was evaluated.

Results

No significant sex-based differences were observed in the detection of IFVA, IFVB, RSV, MP, HRV, and ADV (P > 0.05). Among the nasopharyngeal swab samples, 58% (1371/2364) were positive for a single respiratory pathogen, 21.8% (516/2364) for two pathogens, 3.3% (78/2364) for three pathogens, and 0.3% (6/2364) for four pathogens. Notably, IFVA had the highest detection rate (32.6%) among the single infections. HRV was the most frequently identified virus, accounting for 34.8%, followed closely by IFVA at 31.4% and RSV at 20.3%. ADV was detected in 10.4% of cases, while MP and IFVB were found in 8.7% and 7.1% of samples, respectively. The highest pathogen detection rates were observed in children aged 3 to 7 years. Among the co-infections, dual pathogen infections predominated, comprising 86.0% of instances; notably, the combination of IFVA and HRV accounted for 23.3% of these cases. Triple pathogen infections represented 13% of co-infections, with combinations such as RSV, HRV, and ADV being the most prevalent.

Conclusion

This study highlights the epidemiological profile of respiratory pathogen infections among pediatric outpatients and emergency visitors in Xinjiang, revealing crucial age-specific trends and co-infection patterns. Despite limitations inherent to its single-center, retrospective design, these findings provide a valuable baseline for informing local surveillance and guiding preventive strategies in community healthcare settings.

Trial registration

Not applicable.