These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Influenza and rhinovirus viral load and disease severity in upper respiratory tract infections.
    Author: Granados A, Peci A, McGeer A, Gubbay JB.
    Journal: J Clin Virol; 2017 Jan; 86():14-19. PubMed ID: 27893998.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The role of viral load in respiratory viral infection is unclear. It is proposed that the viral load of some, but not all respiratory viruses correlate with disease severity. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine if an association exists between viral loads among patients in ambulatory settings, compared to those requiring hospitalization/intensive care unit (ICU) admission with influenza A/H3N2, influenza B, or human rhinovirus (HRV); we also explored the impact of age, gender and co-detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae on patient setting. We hypothesized that hospitalized/ICU patients have higher respiratory virus viral loads compared to ambulatory (e.g. walk-in clinics, family practices)/ER patients. STUDY DESIGN: We quantified viral load by in-house real-time RT-PCR in 774 nasopharyngeal swabs with influenza A/H3N2, or B or HRV viruses from various patient settings in Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: Mean viral load (log10 copies/ml) of influenza A/H3N2 (6.94) was higher than influenza B (4.96) and HRV (5.58) (p<0.0001). Influenza A/H3N2 viral loads were highest in infants and the elderly; however, increased A/H3N2 viral loads were not associated with hospitalization/ICU admission compared to swabs collected in ambulatory/ER settings. Influenza B viral loads were higher in patients in hospital/ICU settings compared to those in ambulatory settings (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.11-1.47). HRV viral loads did not differ by age (p=0.67) or setting (p=0.54); there was no association between S. pneumoniae colonization and setting for any virus. CONCLUSION: When compared to ambulatory/ER patients, viral load was higher in hospitalized/ICU patients with influenza B, but not influenza A or HRV.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]