The molecular epidemiology of respiratory viruses in military trainees in Iran

Tavakoli, Ahmad; Karbalaie Niya, Mohammad Hadi; Bokharaei-Salim, Farah; Farahmand, Mohammad; Izadi, Morteza; Dorostkar, Ruhollah; Keyvani, Hossein

The role of respiratory infections as key causes of morbidity and mortality among military trainees is well-recognized. Compared to the young healthy adults’ population, military trainees undergoing basic military training course appear to be at increased risk of acquiring and transmitting respiratory infections (1). Every year, a large number of cases of respiratory infections occur in basic military trainees worldwide which the majority of them are resulting from viral infections. Respiratory infections have a tremendous impact on the military population and are responsible for 25–30% of hospitalization in the U.S. military (2). Affected trainees generally require a sufficient period of recovery which can lead to a longer training duration and a significant higher rate of viral transmission to newer cohorts (3). The higher vulnerability to respiratory disease epidemics observed in military trainees has been attributed to several causes including crowded habitation, demanding physical training program, stressful working environment, and insomnia (4, 5).