@article{3092021,
    title = "Etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized school-age
children: Evidence for high prevalence of viral infections",
    author = "Tsolia, MN and Psarras, S and Bossios, A and Audi, H and Paldanius, M and and Gourgiotis, D and Kallergi, K and Kafetzis, DA and Constantopoulos, and A and Papadopoulos, NG",
    journal = "Clinical Infectious Diseases",
    year = "2004",
    volume = "39",
    number = "5",
    pages = "681-686",
    publisher = "OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC",
    issn = "1058-4838, 1537-6591",
    doi = "10.1086/422996",
    abstract = "Background. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in young children is most
commonly associated with viral infections; however, the role of viruses
in CAP of school-age children is still inconclusive.
Methods. Seventy-five school-age children hospitalized with CAP were
prospectively evaluated for the presence of viral and bacterial
pathogens. Nasopharyngeal washes were examined by polymerase chain
reaction for viruses and atypical bacteria. Antibody assays to detect
bacterial pathogens in acute-phase and convalescent-phase serum samples
were also performed.
Results. A viral infection was identified in 65% of cases. Rhinovirus
RNA was detected in 45% of patients; infection with another virus
occurred in 31%. The most common bacterial pathogen was Mycoplasma
pneumoniae, which was diagnosed in 35% of cases. Chlamydia pneumoniae
DNA was not detected in any patient; results of serological tests were
positive in only 2 patients (3%). Mixed infections were documented in
35% of patients, and the majority were a viral-bacterial combination.
Conclusions. The high prevalence of viral and mixed viral-bacterial
infections supports the notion that the presence of a virus, acting
either as a direct or an indirect pathogen, may be the rule rather than
the exception in the development of CAP in school-age children requiring
hospitalization."
}