Respiratory pathogens in infants and young children with acute respiratory illness: a prospective cohort study, China, 2023–2024

作者：Yuqing Li, Mingwei Wei, Lunbiao Cui, Xiang Huo, Lisha Ma, Ran Tao, Tao Wu, Suyang Qi, Baolong Wang, Xiuyun Shi, Yuanbao Liu, Wenqing Liu, Yiyue Ge, Li Chen, Xiujuan Zhao, Jingjing Wu, Runjie Qi, Fengcai Zhu, Jingxin Li · 发表于：Frontiers in Public Health · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fpubh.2025.1548190 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Respiratory viral infections research、Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders、Immune responses and vaccinations

Background Infants are vulnerable to acute respiratory infections (ARIs), which result in pediatric morbidity and even fatalities. A surge of ARIs among infants and young children was reported in China in 2023, garnering global attention. We aimed to investigate the frequency and types of respiratory pathogens associated with the risk of acute respiratory illnesses in infants and young children during this period. Methods We established a cohort of 2-month-old healthy infants across three counties in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, China. The infants in the cohort donated throat swabs at enrollment and then underwent a follow-up for active monitoring of common ARIs. Throat swabs collected from infants experiencing common ARIs were analyzed for respiratory pathogens using targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS). Results Between 7 February and 17 April 2023, a total of 804 infants were invited to participate. Among them, 796 participants were enrolled (423 [53.1%] male, 373 [46.9%] female) with a median age of 71.0 days. Frequently detected respiratory pathogen carriers at baseline included Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (17.9%), Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (16.0%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) (15.3%). In the follow-up period up to 30 April 2024, 1,412 episodes of common ARIs were recorded (164.5 per 100 person-years). A total of 675 specimens were collected during the episodes of common ARIs and qualified for analysis, of which 636 (94.2%) had at least one posi...