Abstract
A rapidly communicable outbreak of pneumonia was documented virologically, serologically and clinically in 2 isolated arctic populations. In addition to the two stricken communities, an additional one not apparently affected with clinical illness and a 4th, containing the major hospital and airport in the eastern arctic, was also studied. 263 patients were studied serologically and 81 specimens were obtained for virus isolation. Clinical records were kept (of the outbreak) in each epidemic area and a detailed questionnaire was completed for 140 children and their families.
Respiratory syncytial virus was cultured from 8 ill children. A seroconversion rate of approximately 50% was seen in both affected communities and in the clinically unaffected one. The epidemic in the first 2 communities was characterized by severe pneumonia and frequent hospitalization; no cases of bronchiolitis were seen. No serologic evidence of significant influenza A and B, para-influenzae 1, 2 and 3, adenovirus and herpes simplex virus infections were found. Unusual features of this epidemic of RSV infection include the high attack rate, severe morbidity, illness manifest almost exclusively as pneumonia rather than bronchiolitis and the differences between the expression of disease in different communities.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marks, M., Morrell, R., Champlin, R. et al. AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE PNEUMONIA DUE TO RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIA VIRUS IN ISOLATED ARCTIC POPULATIONS. Pediatr Res 8, 427 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00522
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00522