Table III.
Viral respiratory tract infections in children with and without asthma exacerbations
| Asthma exacerbations (n = 65) |
Well-controlled asthma (n = 77) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory viruses | No. | Percent | No. | Percent | Crude OR (95% CI) |
| All viruses | 41 | 63.1 | 18 | 23.4 | 5.6 (2.7-11.6) |
| Symptomatic infections | 21 | 32.3 | 0 | 0 | Undefined∗ |
| Asymptomatic infections | 20 | 30.8 | 18 | 23.4 | NS |
| Picornaviruses† | 39 | 60.0 | 15 | 19.5 | 6.2 (2.9-13.1) |
| Rhinoviruses | 39 | 60.0 | 14 | 19.5 | 6.8 (3.2-14.3) |
| Symptomatic infections | 20 | 30.8 | 0 | 0 | Undefined∗ |
| Asymptomatic infections | 19 | 29.2 | 14 | 18.2 | NS |
| Enteroviruses | 3 | 4.6 | 0 | 0 | NS |
| HMPV | 3 | 4.6 | 2 | 2.6 | NS |
| RSV | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | NS |
| Coronavirus 229E | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.3 | NS |
| Coronavirus OC43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS |
| Human bocavirus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS |
| Adenoviruses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS |
| Influenza A and B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS |
| Parainfluenza 1, 2, and 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NS |
NS, No statistically significant difference.
∗
P < .001.
†
In one instance the detected picornavirus could not be further characterized. Four children were coinfected with more than 1 virus: all 3 enterovirus-positive patients were coinfected with rhinoviruses, and an RSV-positive child was positive for HMPV as well.