Characteristics of Respiratory Syncytial Virus versus Influenza Infection in Hospitalized Patients of Peru: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza infections are important causes of respiratory illness associated with hospitalizations in children in Peru; however, comparisons of RSV and influenza hospitalization across all age groups are not available in Peru. Therefore, we conducted an observational, retrospective study between May 2015 and October 2021 using hospitalization from RSV and influenza infection data obtained from SUSALUD (open data) in Peru to compare the baseline characteristics of sex, age, region, and infection type. For the study, 2696 RSV-infected and 1563 influenza-infected hospitalized patients from different age groups were included. Most hospitalizations from RSV infection and the influenza virus occurred in children <5 years of age (86.1% vs. 32.2%, respectively). Compared with influenza infection, RSV infection was less likely to occur in individuals ≥5 years of age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.06–0.08; p < 0.0001; compared to <5 years of age), and more likely to occur in highlands (aOR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.46–2.07; p < 0.0001, compared to coast region), and jungle region (aOR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.27–2.41; p = 0.001, compared to coast region). Among the respiratory complications, RSV pneumonia was less likely to occur between different age groups (aOR = 0.29; 95% CI, 0.22–0.37; p < 0.0001, compared to <5 years of age), compared with influenza pneumonia. These findings on the RSV-hospitalization and its complications are helpful for health services planning and may increase awareness of the Peruvian population’s RSV and influenza disease burden.

Understanding the Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Older Adults in Latin America: An Expert Perspective on Knowledge Gaps

“…Cohort-based and surveillance studies of respiratory tract infections have been conducted in Latin America, which can provide invaluable insights into RSV, including the seasonality and incidence of RSV subtypes [ 25 – 31 ]. However, the impact of age and comorbid health conditions on RSV epidemiology remains a topic that needs addressing, as highlighted by various studies across Latin America [ 30 , 32 , 33 ]. The scarcity of RSV epidemiological data in older adults may be a consequence of several factors.…”

Bacterial Coinfection and Superinfection in Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Acute Respiratory Illness: Prevalence, Pathogens, Initial Antibiotic-Prescribing Patterns and Outcomes

“…However, although the disease burden is comparable [ 3 , 10 , 11 , 12 ], there is scarce data on the frequency of bacterial coinfection, superinfection, and associated clinical outcomes among patients with RSV-ARI [ 10 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Furthermore, the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS/IDSA) guideline for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) recommends that standard antibacterial therapy be initially prescribed to patients with CAP who test positive for influenza and could consider earlier discontinuation of antibiotics if there is no evidence of bacterial infection and the patient is clinically stable [ 17 ].…”

Tropical Infectious Diseases of Global Significance: Insights and Perspectives

“…Ramírez-Soto and colleagues [20] undertook an observational and retrospective study on respiratory illnesses associated with hospitalizations due to the respiratory syncytial virus and influenza virus infections in Peruvian children, comparing the baseline characteristics of sex, age, region, and infection type.…”