Prevalence of respiratory viruses among paediatric patients in acute respiratory illnesses in Malaysia

OBJECTIVES: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, there is limited surveillance data on the epidemiological burden of respiratory pathogens in tropical countries like Malaysia. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of respiratory pathogens causing ARIs among children aged <18 years old in Malaysia and their epidemiological characteristics. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swab specimens received at 12 laboratories located in different states of Malaysia from 2015–2019 were studied. Detection of 18 respiratory pathogens were performed using multiplex PCR. RESULTS: Data from a total of 23,306 paediatric patients who presented with ARI over a five-year period was studied. Of these, 18538 (79.5%) were tested positive. The most prevalent respiratory pathogens detected in this study were enterovirus/ rhinovirus (6837/ 23000; 29.7%), influenza virus (5176/ 23000; 22.5%) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (3652/ 23000; 15.9%). Throughout the study period, RSV demonstrated the most pronounce seasonality; peak infection occurred during July to September. Whereas the influenza virus was detected year-round in Malaysia. No seasonal variation was noted in other respiratory pathogens. The risk of RSV hospitalisation was found to be significantly higher in children aged less than two years old, whereas hospitalisation rates for the influenza virus peaked at children aged between 3–6 years old. CONCLUSION: This study provides insight into the epidemiology and the seasonality of the causative pathogens of ARI among the paediatric population in Malaysia. Knowledge of seasonal respiratory pathogens epidemiological dynamics will facilitate the identification of a target window for vaccination.