Skip to main content
PMC home page
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2006 Mar 2;85(4):472–477. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3476(74)80447-6

Greater frequency of viral respiratory infections in asthmatic children as compared with their nonasthmatic siblings†

Theodore E Minor a,b, James W Baker a,b, Elliot C Dick a,b,*, Anthony N DeMeo a,b, John J Ouellette a,b, Marcus Cohen a,b, Charles E Reed a,b
PMCID: PMC7172930  PMID: 4374518

Abstract

A longitudinal clinical and microbiologic surveillance was conducted from October to May, 1971–1972, on 16 children with infectious asthma and 15 of their nonasthmatic siblings. Asthmaticchildren experienced a significantly greater frequency of viral respiratory infections than did nonasthmatic ones (5.1 vs. 3.8 per subject). This increased incidence appeared to be largely the result of a greater number of rhinovirus infections. While respiratory infections of identical etiology that occurred concurrently in an asthmatic and his sibling were equivalent in severity, illnesses were longer (but not significantly so) in asthmatic children.

Footnotes

†

Supported in part by United States Public Health Service Grant No. AI-10,404-01.

References

  • 1.McIntosh K., Ellis E.F., Hoffman L.S., Lybass T.G., Eller J.J., Fulginiti V.A. The association of viral and bacterial respiratory infections with exacerbations of wheezing in young asthmatic children. J. Pediatr. 1973;82:578. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3476(73)80582-7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Minor T.E., Dick E.C., DeMeo A.N., Ouellette J.J., Cohen M., Reed C.E. Viruses as precipitants of asthmatic attacks in children. J. A. M. A. 1974;227:292. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Sanders S., Norman A.P. The bacterial flora of the upper respiratory tract in children with severe asthma. J. Allergy. 1968;41:319. doi: 10.1016/0021-8707(68)90074-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Berman S.Z., Mathison D.A., Stevenson D.D., Tan E.M., Vaughan J.H. Transcricothyroid cultures in “infectious” asthma. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 1973;51:122. [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Dick E.C., Blumer C.R., Evans A.S. Epidemiology of infections with rhinovirus types 43 and 55 in a group of University of Wisconsin student families. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1967;86:386. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120749. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Evans A.S., Dick E.C. Acute pharyngitis and tonsillitis in University of Wisconsin students. J. A. M. A. 1964;190:699. doi: 10.1001/jama.1964.03070210005001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Cherry J.D., Diddams J.A., Dick E.C. Rhinovirus infections in hospitalized children. Arch. Environ. Health. 1967;14:390. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1967.10664760. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.D'Alessio D.J., Cox P.M., Dick E.C. Failure of inactivated influenza vaccine to protect an aged population. J. A. M. A. 1969;210:485. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Parker C.D., Bilbo R.E., Reed C.E. Methacholine aerosol as test for bronchial asthma. Arch. Intern. Med. 1965;115:452. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1965.03860160078013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Ouellette J.J., Reed C.E. Increased response of asthmatic subjects to methacholine after influenza vaccine. J. Allergy. 1965;36:558. doi: 10.1016/0021-8707(65)90193-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Reed C.E., Cohen M., Enta T. Reduced effect of epinephrine on circulating eosinophils in asthma and after beta-adrenergic blockade or Bordetella pertussis vaccine. With a note on eosinopenia after methacholine. J. Allergy. 1970;46:90. doi: 10.1016/0021-8707(70)90076-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Makino S., Ouellette J.J., Reed C.E., Fishel C. Correlation between increased bronchial response to acetylcholine and diminished metabolic and eosinopenic responses to epinephrine in asthma. J. Allergy. 1970;46:178. doi: 10.1016/0021-8707(70)90096-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Tyrrell D.A.J. Hunting common cold viruses by some new methods. J. Infect. Dis. 1970;121:561. doi: 10.1093/infdis/121.5.561. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Tyrrell D.A.J., Bynoe M.L. Cultivation of viruses from a high proportion of patients with colds. Lancet. 1966;1:76. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)92364-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Hendley J.O., Edmondson W.P., Jr., Gwaltney J.M., Jr. Relation between naturally acquired immunity and infectivity of two rhinoviruses in volunteers. J. Infect. Dis. 1972;125:243. doi: 10.1093/infdis/125.3.243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Knight V. Airborne transmission and pulmonary deposition of respiratory viruses. In: Hers J.F.Ph., Winkler K.C., editors. Airborne transmission and airborne infection. Halsted Press; Philadelphia: 1973. pp. 175–182. [Google Scholar]
  • 17.D'Alessio D.J., Dick C.R., Dick E.C. Transmission of rhinovirus type 55 in human volunteers. In: Melnick J.L., editor. S. Karger AG; New York: 1972. p. 115. (International virology 2). [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Pediatrics are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES