Impact of respiratory syncytial virus on hospital admissions in children younger than 3 years of age

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main pathogen associated to acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children worldwide. Objective: To determine the contribution of RSV to hospital admissions in children <3 years of age from May 2003 through April 2005 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of children <3 years of age admitted to a public general hospital and detection of RSV in respiratory secretions of children with ARI. Results: There were 2036 children <3 years of age admitted to the hospital during the study period. The diagnosis at the time of admission was an ARI in 734 (36.1%) patients. RSV was detected in 153 (24.8%) of the 616 subjects who were tested. Children <1 year comprised 66% of admissions among children <3 years. RSV was detected in 26.9% of children with ARI <1 year; 21.5% of those 12-24 months of age and 15.25% of those 24-36 months old. Conclusions: RSV was associated to 24.8% of ARI - related admissions in children < 3 years of age. It is necessary to determine risk factors for RSV-related hospitalizations to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a preventive program for RSV infections in Mexico. (C) 2006 The British Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.