Structure and circulation patterns of influenza and other respiratory viruses among children with bronchopulmonary diseases in 2023–2024

Introduction. Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs) account for 90% of all infectious diseases in children. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the epidemiological landscape of respiratory infections.
Aim. To determine the structure and circulation patterns of ARVI pathogens among children with bronchopulmonary diseases during 2023–2024.
Materials and methods. From February 2023 to January 2024, 128 pediatric patients presenting with clinical signs of ARVI were examined, including 87 children with recurrent respiratory infections, 28 diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia, and 13 with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Viral agents were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the “ОRVI-COMPLEX” reagent kit (Russia).
Results. Etiological agents were identified in 70.3% of the tested children. Rhinoviruses were most frequently detected (24.22%), followed by seasonal coronaviruses (14.83%, predominantly HCoV-229E), and influenza viruses (10.15%). SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 5.47% of cases. Analysis of the circulating ARVI pathogen profile during the post-pandemic and post-COVID period (2023–2024) revealed a 16.7% increase in pathogen detection frequency compared to the pre-pandemic years (2018–2019).
Conclusion. The findings on the structure and circulation dynamics of influenza and ARVI pathogens in the post-COVID period are of significant importance for forecasting disease trends and implementing appropriate therapeutic, preventive, and anti-epidemic measures.

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