Pathogens Causing Respiratory Tract Infections in Children Less Than 5 Years of Age in Senegal

Knobbe, Rebecca B; Diallo, Abdallah; Fall, Amary; Gueye, Aida D; Dieng, Assane; van Immerzeel, Tabitha D; Ba, Abou; Diop, Amadou; Diop, Abdoulaye; Niang, Mbayame; Boye, Cheikh SB

This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee for Research of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar. Data were gathered after an informed consent statement had been signed by parents or a legal guardian. Children aged less than 5 years old with an acute respiratory infection defined as (antecedents of ) fever and at least one respiratory symptom were found suitable for inclusion. Cases were excluded if the symptoms began >10 days before enrolment and/or if antibiotics were taken within 48 hours before enrolment. Exclusion criteria for controls were signs of fever or respiratory symptoms. Fever was defined as a rectal or ear temperature of ⩾38.0°C or an axillary temperature of ⩾37.5°C. Antecedents of fever had to occur within 24 hours before enrolment. Respiratory symptoms included cough, thoracic pain, sore throat, dyspnoea, chest indrawings, tachypnoea, cyanosis, and rhinorrhoea. Tachypnoea was defined using the WHO definition of a respiratory rate >60 breaths/min in children <2 months of age, >50 breaths/min in children 2 to 12 months of age, and >40 breaths/minute in children ⩾1 year of age. 3 Tachycardia was defined as >160 beats per minute (BPM) for infants <2 years of age and >140 BPM for children 2 to 12 years of age. 25 Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) suggestive for severity of disease was defined as ⩾50 mg/L. 26, 27 Leucocytosis was present if leucocytes are increased to more than 11 000/mm 3 . Pneumonia was defined using the WHO guidelines as tachypnoea with cough and/or dyspnoea. 3 Alarming signs were defined as tachypnoea, chest indrawing, or hypoxemia.