Background: Respiratory syncytial viral (RSV) infection can be rapidly differentiated from influenza viral infection by immunofluorescence techniques. These tests were used to identify some epidemiological and clinical characteristics of both infections.
Methods and patients: 77 RSV and 22 influenza viral infections were detected during an outbreak (November 1989 to March 1990) in 210 children less than 6 years admitted for lower respiration tract infections. The fluorescent antibody assay was performed on nasal aspirates.
Results: The RSV outbreak ran from November to March, while the influenza outbreak was shorter, during December and January. The patients infected with RSV were younger (mean age: 6.7 months) than those infected with influenza virus (mean age: 20.9 months) (p < 0.001). Those with influenza virus infection presented with higher temperatures, more often had initial seizures (p < 0.05) and displayed fewer clinical or X-ray respiratory symptoms (p < 0.001). Mean durations of hospitalization were 9.9 days for RSV infection and 7.7 days for influenza virus infection. The therapeutic use of bronchial dilators, oxygen and steroids was correlated with the degree and duration of respiratory manifestations. A 3 month follow-up was insufficient to show any difference between recurrences or complications in the two groups.
Conclusion: The clinical and radiological differences in these two groups of patients viral-infected are similar to those described in the literature. Variability from one outbreak to another precludes any extrapolation to other populations and justifies the systematic use of the fluorescent antibody assay, especially when a specific antiviral therapy is considered.