An Investigation of Viral Agents in Patients Presenting with Flu-Like Symptoms

Flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Various different viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus and coronavirus constitute infection with flulike symptoms. In our study, the patients who applied to our hospital with flu-like symptoms and clinical findings between October 2001 to April 2002 and October 2003 to April 2004 were evaluated. Viral antigens and antibodies in the nasopharyngeal aspirates and serum samples were investigated by immunofluorescent technique. In our study we determined etiological agents in 48.6% of 37 patients evaluated in the period I, and in 44% of 25 patients in the period II. In the first period, influenza B was determined as 61.1%, influenza A as 22.2% and RSV as 16.7%, while in the second period influenza A was determined as 45.5%, RSV as 27.3%, influenza B as 18.2% and parainfluenza type 1 as 9.1%. The most frequently encountered symptoms in patients were fatigue, fever, sweating, headache and muscle pain, coughing, running eyes, and sound and taste changes. Duration of symptoms was 6.8 ± 3.1 days in the group in which the etiological agent was identified and 4.6 ± 2.4 days in the group in which the etiological agent could not be determined. Our findings show that the dominant influenza virus type varies from year to year. Immunofluorescence, a rapid, reliable and simple test, is important in the identification of viral agents. However, agent identification becomes difficult in situations in which disease symptoms and viremia are not obvious and are short-lived. Agent identification and good clinical observation prevent inappropriate antibiotherapy aimed at bacterial infections in patients presenting with flu-like symptoms