Objective To detect 22 kinds of respiratory pathogens by multiplex nucleic acid detection system, and to understand the composition and epidemic characteristics of common viral pathogens in children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) in Shaoguan city. Methods The People's Hospital of North Guangdong was selected as the monitoring point, and 886 samples of respiratory patients were collected in time as required and sent to the microbial laboratory of the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The multiple nucleic acid detection system was used to detect 22 kinds of respiratory pathogens qualitatively. These include novel coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1, coronavirus NL63, coronavirus 229E, coronavirus OC43, human metapneumovirus, human rhinovirus/enterovirus, influenza A virus, influenza A virus H1, influenza A virus H1-2009, influenza A virus H3, influenza B virus, parainfluenza virus type 1, parainfluenza disease Virus type 2, Parainfluenza virus type 3, parainfluenza virus type 4, respiratory syncytial virus, Bacillus parapertussis, Bacillus pertussis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, mycoplasma pneumoniae. At the same time, the traditional fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the same items of the above samples, and the accuracy of the detection results was compared. Results Among the 886 samples, 425 samples were positive, and the detection rate of nucleic acid was 47. 97% (425/886), and the detection rate of FluA was the highest (15. 46%). The detection rates of other viruses from high to low were rhinovirus(HRV) 9. 48%, human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) 6. 55%, influenza B virus(FluB) 5. 87%, RSV 4. 29%, adenovirus (ADV) 2. 82%, MPV 2. 03%, HCoV 1. 02%, HBoV 0. 45%. The distribution of FluA, HRV, HPIV, FluB, RSV and MPV had certain seasonal characteristics, while ADV, HCoV and HBoV had no obvious seasonal characteristics. The detection rates of FluA, HPIV and RSV in 1-3 years old group were higher. The detection rates of HRV, MPV and HCoV in 1-3 years old group were higher. The FluB detection rate was higher in ≥6 years old group. The results of fluorescence quantitative PCR were consistent with the above results. Conclusion In Shaoguan city, there were many viral pathogens of acute respiratory infection(ARI) in children, and the top three were FluA, HRV, and HPIV in turn. Some pathogen infections have seasonal characteristics, and there is a certain correlation with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]