Detection of Adenovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Parainfluenza Virus Infections in Our Region in the 1995-96 Winter Season by Cell Culture Method

The frequency and distribution of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus and parainfluenza virus, the important causes of respiratory tract infections in our region were investigated in this study. For this reason, nasopharyngeal swab specimens were collected from 187 patients (131 children and 56 adults) who suffered from influenza-like illness in the winter of 1995-96. Specimens were inoculated on Hep-2 cells for RSV and adenovirus, and on MDBK cells for parainfluenza virus isolation. The tubes were examined for the cytopathic effect every other day for 15 days and hemagglutination test was performed for parainfluenza virus identification. Cytopathic effect and/or hemagglutination test positive specimens were stained using fluorescein-conjugated monoclonal antibodies and examined under fluorescent microscope. RSV was isolated from 6 children, adenovirus from 7 patients, five of them were adults, and human parainfluenza viruses type 1 and 2 each from one child patient. As a result: A respiratory tract pathogen was isolated from 15 of all 187 (%8) nasopharyngeal swab specimens