Beyond Common Cold: Emerging Viral Infections In Children - Dr Anamika Dubey

Acute respiratory tract infections in children are responsible for millions of death and hospitalisation in developing countries every year. The most common infections are of viral etiology. Most common viral agents responsible are respiratory syncitial virus (RSV A-B), adenovirus, influenza viruses A-B and para influenza virus (PIV 1-4).

Other agents include human meta pneumovirus, the human bocavirus and the human coronavirus. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, most respiratory viruses had a seasonal pattern with influenza, CoV and RSV infections peaking in the winter months, the adenovirus, HMPV, and RSV were prevalent throughout the year and some enterovirus increasing during the summers. Recently, a change in the severity and the distribution of emerging viral infections has been observed.

Probably the country's vast terrains of extreme geo-climatic differences and uneven population distribution is responsible for the unique pattern of distribution of viral diseases. Dynamic interplays of biological, socio-cultural and ecological factors together with novel aspect of human-animal interphase pose additional challenges with respect to emergence of infections.

Emerging infections can be defined as those infections whose incidence has been found to be increased within recent decades or which have threatened to increase in future.

Factors responsible for emergence of infections include increasing population, poverty and malnutrition, increased domestic and global connectivity, economic factors leading to population migration, social practices, prevalence of immunosuppressive diseases, unplanned urbanization, deforestation, change in agricultural practices.

Also, genetic alterations in pathogens have also been responsible for such outbreaks.

Habitat destruction due to unplanned urbanization has placed humans in increasing contact with animal and arthropod vectors of viral infections. Such interactions have been one of the major causes of increased human susceptibility to infection in the absence of specific immunity.

Mass gathering whether social or religious also have impact on emerging viral infections as infectious aerosols of the tracheobronchial tree represent efficient means for spread of viral pathogens affecting the respiratory tract.