Epidemiology and risk factors of respiratory syncytial virus associated acute respiratory tract infection in hospitalized children younger than 5 years from Sri Lanka

BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide.AimThis study aimed to describe the prevalence and seasonal patterns of RSV and to determine the actual and predictive association of RSV-associated ARTI and clinical, socio-demographic, and climatic risk factors in children 6), having pets at home and inhaling toxic fumes. The inferential analysis predicts RSV infection in children 4 days, cough, conjunctivitis, stuffiness, fatigue, six or more people at home, having pets at home and inhaling toxic fumes. Climatic factors like increases in temperature (°C), wind speed (Km/h), wind gust (Km/h), rainfall (mm) and atmospheric pressure (mb) showed a strong correlation with the RSV infection in children.