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Pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema have an important impact on the health of children worldwide. There has been no epidemiological study of pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema in Taiwan, a middle-income Asian population. Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database, we collected and analyzed data obtain from medical care claims related to pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema for children below the 18 years old from 1997 to 2004. We found the annual population-based incidence to have significant year to year increases and the average annual incidences of pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema in children under five to be 44.9 and 10.5 episodes per 100,000 children-year, respectively. About 64% of children with pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema were under 5 years old. Children 4 to 5 years old had the highest incidences of both pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema. Incidence was the highest each spring. The odds ratio of the case fatality among pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia patients complicated with empyema to those without was 118 (95% confidence interval 28-492). In conclusion, the population-based incidences of pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema among children under five in Taiwan were 44.9 and 10.5 episodes per 100,000 children-year, respectively, and 4- to 5-year-old children had the highest incidences of both pneumococcal/lobar pneumonia and empyema. This population might benefit from a universal pneumococcal vaccination program which might cover about 70% of invasive pneumococcal diseases in Taiwanese children under 5 years old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study clinically and molecularly characterizes an adenovirus epidemic that broke out in Taiwan in April 2004. Clinical data on 325 children diagnosed with acute illness were collected between April 2004 and April 2005, and a diagnosis of adenovirus was confirmed by viral isolation. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were used to identify the adenovirus genotypes in 267 patients. There was a seasonal variation, with a peak incidence between November 2004 and January 2005 ( p < 0.001). The median age was 52 months, range 1–210 months. Most cases (90.8%) were younger than 7 years old. Male-to-female ratio was 1.56:1. The most common clinical diagnosis was exudative tonsillitis (50.8%), followed by bronchitis/bronchiolitis (29.9%), conjunctivitis or pharyngoconjunctival fever (22.5%), and acute otitis media (16.3%). Adenovirus type 3 was found in 215 patients (80.5%). The other 52 patients had other genotypes: type 2 (10.1%), type 1 (6.0%), type 5 (1.9%), type 7 (0.7%), type 4 (0.4%), and type 6 (0.4%). Patients with type 3 were significantly older [age >52 months, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 8.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.84–40, p = 0.006), their family members had a higher incidence of illness (adjusted OR 8.77, 95% CI 1.55–50, p = 0.01), they coughed (adjusted OR 6.37, 95% CI 1.54–26.3, p = 0.01), and they had a higher C-reactive protein (CRP) level (>2.87 mg/dL, adjusted OR 3.64, 95% CI 1.06–12.3, p = 0.04) than the 52 cases with other genotypes. In conclusion, this adenovirus outbreak, from late autumn to winter, was predominately caused by adenovirus type 3. Patients with this genotype were significantly older, had a higher incidence of cough and family transmission, and had higher CRP levels than those with other genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) is a global respiratory tract pathogen; however, the epidemiology of this virus in subtropical area is not well known. To evaluate the epidemics and disease spectrum of HCoV-NL63 infection in children in Taiwan, we prospectively screened children admitted to the hospital with respiratory tract infection from May 2004 to April 2005. Every enrolled child had a nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) sample taken. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect 1b gene of HCoV-NL63. A total of 539 NPAs were collected. Seven (1.3%) were positive for HCoV-NL63. All cases were boys younger than 3 years of age and most cases occurred in autumn. Co-infection with other pathogens was observed in three cases. The most common symptoms/signs of HCoV-NL63 infection were cough, fever, and inspiratory stridor. HCoV-NL63 was the most common pathogen (14.7%) in children with croup and was the cause of three cases of croup in October. The odds ratio of croup in children infected with HCoV-NL63 was 43.4 (95% CI 8.1∼233.1). In conclusion, HCoV-NL63 is an important respiratory tract pathogen as the main cause in children admitted to the hospital in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the case of a premature infant with hepatic failure. Signs of jaundice; Maternal peripartum exposure to echovirus 6 and enterovirus 71; Liver function test; Blood exchange transfusion.