Detection of Common Respiratory Viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Patient-Occupied Rooms in Pediatric Wards

Wan, Gwo-Hwa; Huang, Chung-Guei; Chung, Fen-Fang; Lin, Tzou-Yien; Tsao, Kuo-Chien; Huang, Yhu-Chering

Viral infections of the respiratory system are very common. In Taiwan, the predominant viruses isolated from patients with respiratory infections are enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A and B viruses, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus-1, and parainfluenza virus. 27 Enterovirus causes herpangina, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, myocarditis, encephalitis, and death. RSV is the most common pathogen of the lower respiratory tract in infants 28 and a common cause of nosocomial infections in pediatric wards. 29 Influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics in Taiwan, especially in winter. 30 Adenovirus causes acute respiratory tract infections in children younger than 5 years of age and circulates throughout the year. 31 Further, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a small bacterium, is a common pathogenic agent of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children and young adults. 32, 33 RSV has been detected in air samples collected at distances of 30 to 700 cm from the head of patients' beds, 34 and RNA analysis of such samples at distance of 700 cm from the bedside may be useful for identifying small RSV-containing particles in hospital wards. Moreover, ubiquitous objects (e.g., telephones, door knobs, tables, air filters, ventilators) in hospitals have been shown to harbor adenovirus, 35, 36 varicella-zoster virus, 37, 38 Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 39 Few studies have investigated the concentrations of respiratory viruses and M pneumoniae aerosols in the rooms of pediatric wards. To provide more detailed information, we measured the concentrations of 4 respiratory viruses common in children (enterovirus, influenza A virus, RSV, and adenovirus) and M pneumoniae in air samples collected at 2 locations (relative to the head of the bed) in patient-occupied rooms in the pediatric wards of a university-affiliated hospital in northern Taiwan. We also inspected the objects in the pediatric ward rooms to determine whether they were contaminated.