TY - JOUR
T1 - Respiratory viruses in rural Zambia during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Sutcliffe, Catherine G.
AU - Hamahuwa, Mutinta
AU - Miller, Evan
AU - Sinywimaanzi, Pamela
AU - Hardick, Justin
AU - Morales, Juliet
AU - Munachoonga, Passwell
AU - Monze, Mwaka
AU - Manabe, Yukari C.
AU - Fenstermacher, Katherine Z.J.
AU - Rothman, Richard E.
AU - Pekosz, Andrew
AU - Thuma, Philip E.
AU - Simulundu, Edgar
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (contract HHSN272201400007C) awarded to the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance (JHCEIRS), (contract HHSN7593021C00045) awarded to the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Response (JHCEIRR), and the Richard Eliasberg Family Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the policy or position of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or National Institutes of Health. The funding agency had no role in the analysis and interpretation of the data, the writing of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The surveillance was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Johns Hopkins (IRB00168163) and Macha Research Trust (E.2018.02), and the Zambian National Health Research Authority. Written informed consent for participation was obtained from adult participants and the parents or legal guardians of pediatric participants. Written assent was obtained from children 12 to 15 years of age.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (contract HHSN272201400007C ) awarded to the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance (JHCEIRS), (contract HHSN7593021C00045 ) awarded to the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Response (JHCEIRR), and the Richard Eliasberg Family Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the policy or position of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or National Institutes of Health. The funding agency had no role in the analysis and interpretation of the data, the writing of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Objectives: Limited data on respiratory infections are available from sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the burden of respiratory viruses in rural Zambia from 2019-2021. Methods: Surveillance was initiated at Macha Hospital in Zambia in December 2018. Each week, patients with respiratory symptoms were enrolled from the outpatient clinic. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected and tested for respiratory pathogens. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and viruses in 2021 was compared to results from 2019 and 2020. Results: After seeing few cases of influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus in 2020, a return to prepandemic levels was observed in 2021. Rhinovirus/enterovirus, parainfluenza virus 1-4, and adenovirus circulated from 2019 to 2021, while human metapneumovirus and human coronaviruses (HKU1, 229E, OC43, and NL63 subtypes) were observed sporadically. SARS-CoV-2 was observed consistently in 2021 after being first identified in December 2020. The proportion of participants with co-infections in 2021 (11.6%) was significantly higher than in 2019 (6.9%) or 2020 (7.7%). Conclusion: Declines in influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus were reversed once public health measures were lifted. Respiratory viruses contributed to a significant burden of respiratory infections in 2021. This study provides important information about respiratory viruses in this changing context and underrepresented region.
AB - Objectives: Limited data on respiratory infections are available from sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the burden of respiratory viruses in rural Zambia from 2019-2021. Methods: Surveillance was initiated at Macha Hospital in Zambia in December 2018. Each week, patients with respiratory symptoms were enrolled from the outpatient clinic. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected and tested for respiratory pathogens. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and viruses in 2021 was compared to results from 2019 and 2020. Results: After seeing few cases of influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus in 2020, a return to prepandemic levels was observed in 2021. Rhinovirus/enterovirus, parainfluenza virus 1-4, and adenovirus circulated from 2019 to 2021, while human metapneumovirus and human coronaviruses (HKU1, 229E, OC43, and NL63 subtypes) were observed sporadically. SARS-CoV-2 was observed consistently in 2021 after being first identified in December 2020. The proportion of participants with co-infections in 2021 (11.6%) was significantly higher than in 2019 (6.9%) or 2020 (7.7%). Conclusion: Declines in influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus were reversed once public health measures were lifted. Respiratory viruses contributed to a significant burden of respiratory infections in 2021. This study provides important information about respiratory viruses in this changing context and underrepresented region.
KW - Africa
KW - Influenza
KW - Respiratory infections
KW - Respiratory syncytial virus
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Surveillance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165613050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85165613050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.07.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.07.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 37533553
AN - SCOPUS:85165613050
SN - 2772-7076
VL - 8
SP - 90
EP - 94
JO - IJID Regions
JF - IJID Regions
ER -