Work

Epidemiology and Clinical Impact of Parainfluenza Virus Infections in Otherwise Healthy Infants and Young Children < 5 Years Old

Year: 1997

Type: article

Abstract: Over a 20-year period in a population of otherwise healthy children, respiratory viruses have been cultured from nasal wash specimens from each child with a clinically significant respiratory illness. Since efforts are underway to develop vaccines for prevention of illness due to parainfluenza virus (PIV) type 3, the epidemiologic characteristics of PIVs were reviewed, and the population size necessary to demonstrate vaccine efficacy was estimated. A population of 1429 children was followed through early childhood. PIVs were isolated from 286 samples, 17.4% of positive viral cultures. PIV-3 was the most common: 10% of the children had at least one symptomatic, culture-proven PIV-3 infection. PIV-3 was endemic during the study period, while the other two PIVs, PIV-1 and -2, caused biennial flu epidemics. Only four PIV-related hospitalizations were seen. The efficacy of a PIV-3 vaccine could be demonstrated in a trial of 600 carefully monitored children vaccinated by 3 months and followed to 15 months of age.

Source: The Journal of Infectious Diseases

DOI: 10.1086/513975

Authors: George Reed, Paula H. Jewett, Juliette Thompson, Sharon Tollefson, Peter F. Wright

Institution: Vanderbilt University

Language: English

Topic: Respiratory viral infections research

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,763