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Norovirus represents the most frequent cause of pediatric gastroenteritis requiring medical care. We conducted a prospective study on 276 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Romania from January 2017 to December 2019 to estimate the clinic-epidemiological and evolutionary impact of Norovirus infection. Among the 276 patients, the median age was 2.34 years, and 57.61% were male. The frequency of hospitalizations in a year was higher in August, September, and October, and 72.1% of patients were from urban areas. Diarrhea (92.58%), vomiting (83.33%), anorexia (92.03%), and fever (57.61%) predominated, while abdominal pain (46.74%), nausea (30.8%), headache (18.84%), and myalgia (18.12%) were in lower percentages. Dehydration occurred in 99.28% of patients. Using the Pearson correlation coefficient, we formulated two hypotheses: in the 0-4 years category, the number of cases requiring hospitalization is inversely proportional to age (Pearson coefficient age-number of cases - 0.92), and the younger the age, the more it is associated with other infections and the longer the hospitalization duration. Conclusions. The clinic-epidemiological characteristics of patients with Norovirus infection are influenced by age – the younger the age, the longer the hospitalization duration and the higher the presence of associated infections; the average age is 2.34 years, with a predominance of males and children from urban areas. Hospitalization is high in August, September, and October, and diarrhea, vomiting, and anorexia predominate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal respiratory illnesses are the main cause of morbidity during the cold season of the year both in adults and especially in children due to clinical and epidemiological peculiarities. Influenza is one of the most important seasonal diseases causing numerous illnesses every year among the population at risk (young children, adults with comorbidities, and the elderly). In this paper we present the clinico-epidemiological features of influenza in children admitted to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals” between October 2023 and March 2024. During the analyzed period we registered 739 cases of influenza in children, which represents 23.7% of the total admissions in the same period. Cases of influenza A (68.3 %) predominated, compared to type B (18.8 %) and unspecified (12.8 %). The majority of cases of influenza in children were determined by subtypes AH1 and AH3 in similar proportions. Clinically, the predominant forms of the disease were mild (60.2%) and severe (17.9%), with no critical cases or deaths. Epidemiologically, the peak incidence of childhood influenza was reached in the period December 2023 - January 2024 for type A and March - April 2024 for type B. Compared to the previous season the number of cases of childhood influenza was reduced by about 19.6 %. The most affected age group was 1-6 years (42.4%). The clinical picture of influenza in the children studied was dominated by “classical” general signs (fever and chills, muscle ache and fatigue, headache, altered general condition) associated with respiratory manifestations (nasal obstruction, odynophagia, dysphagia, dry cough) and digestive symptoms (abdominal pain, vomiting, poor appetite). The majority of children with influenza (97.6%) were unvaccinated, and in those vaccinated the clinical forms of the disease were milder without complications. Influenza remains an important seasonal infectious disease because of its epidemiological (many cases) and socioeconomic (absenteeism, additional costs) but also medical (potential for severe evolution and even death) implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the period 2020-2022 as a result of epidemiological measures specific to the COVID-19 pandemic (protective mask, online teaching activity, social distancing) we witnessed a considerable decrease in the number of cases of respiratory viroids in children. With the lifting of prophylactic measures that coincided with the start of physical teaching activities and the onset of the cold season, we have been confronted in pediatric wards with an increase in the incidence of virological infections in the pediatric population. In this article we aim to analyze the particularities of respiratory virological diseases in children in the season 2022 - 2023 both from the etiological and epidemiological point of view and the characteristic clinical forms of the disease. We conducted a retrospective clinical study of cases admitted to the Clinical Departments of Infectious DiseasesPediatrics of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals” in the period October 2022 - March 2023. During this period, we recorded 3.012 cases of respiratory virology in children, which represents the majority of pediatric pathology admitted (72,9 %). The peak incidence of respiratory virology occurred in December (688 cases). From the etiological point of view, most cases were SARS-CoV-2 infections, followed by influenza (predominantly type A), then a smaller number of infections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus. The most common clinical form of the disease was moderate (66.9%), with severe forms accounting for 10.5%. All pediatric cases of respiratory virology admitted to our wards have evolved favorably, with no deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]