Background The study presents data on a sample of children under one year of age hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in Lithuania and Estonia. Subjects and methods This large, retrospective, cross-sectional, observational epidemiologic survey was conducted in 12 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Eligible subjects were under one year of age, hospitalized for LRT...

Respiratory syncytial virus is the most important cause of viral lower respiratory illness in infants and children worldwide. By the age of 2 years, nearly every child has become infected with respiratory syncytial virus and re-infections are common throughout life. Most infections are mild and can be managed at home, but this virus causes serious diseases in preterm children, especially those ...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children. Host immune response is implicated in both protective and immunopathological mechanisms during RSV infection. Activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-3 in innate immune cells by RSV can induce airway inflammation, protective immune response, and pulmonary immunopathology. A cl...

BACKGROUND Seasonal influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are primary causes of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. New respiratory viruses including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), human bocavirus (hBoV), and influenza 2009 A(H1N1) virus have a strong impact on the pediatric population. OBJECTIVES To evaluate epidemiological and clinical features of ARTIs ...

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is an important cause of severe respiratory tract disease in immunocompromised patients. Animal models are indispensable for evaluating novel intervention strategies in this complex patient population. To complement existing models in rodents and non-human primates, we have evaluated the potential benefits of an HRSV infection model in ferrets (Mustela p...

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants, elderly and immunocompromised individuals. To date, no specific antiviral drug is available to treat or prevent this disease. Here, we report that the Smoothened receptor (Smo) antagonist cyclopamine acts as a potent and selective inhibitor of in vitro and in vivo hRSV replication....

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are among themost common reasons for visits to primary care pediatricians and emergency departments.1 Infections with respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, human metapneumovirus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are frequently associated with wheezing, which leads to the clinical entities of bronchiolitis in infants a...

The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of infection by respiratory viruses in preterm infants submitted to mechanical ventilation, and to evaluate the clinical, laboratory and radiological patterns of viral infections among hospitalized infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with any kind of acute respiratory failure. Seventy-eight preterm infants were studied ...