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Objective: To evaluate severe acute respiratory syndrome surveillance in a pediatric unit. Methods: Descriptive study of reported severe acute respiratory syndrome cases with the detection of respiratory viruses in the nasopharyngeal sample of patients hospitalized between 2013 and 2019, in a reference hospital in the Federal District, Brazil. Results: A total of 269 children had one or more viruses detected, resulting in 280 viruses, of which 152 (54%) were respiratory syncytial virus. The detection of respiratory syncytial virus was higher during the autumn-winter period. Children´s median age was 6.9 months, 156 (58%) were male, 104 (39%) had comorbidity, 197 (73%) required mechanical ventilation, 241 (90%) received antibiotics, and 146 (54%) oseltamivir. There were 19 (7%) deaths. The median time from symptom onset to sample collection was 5 days and the median time from sample collection to final results was 6 days. Conclusions: The system needs to reduce the time to deliver results so that inappropriate use of antibiotics and antivirals can be avoided. Moreover, the burden of viral pneumonia was relevant and the system must be flexible enough to include emerging viruses in order to be useful in responding to public health emergencies caused by respiratory viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of individuals with respiratory symptoms (RS) is important for the early detection of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of RS in three administrative regions of the Federal District, Brazil. For this, we used the 30 by 7 cluster sampling technique proposed by the World Health Organization. Individuals with RS were defined as those aged 15 years or older living in the administrative regions of Estrutural, Itapoã, or Varjão and reporting a cough lasting at least 3 weeks at the date of the interview. The prevalence of RS was 5.7% in Estrutural and Varjão (95% CI: 2.4-9.0) and 4.8% in Itapoã (95%CI: 1.6-7.9), with a design effect close to 1.0. In Estrutural and Itapoã, fewer years of schooling, and in Itapoã and Varjão, lower income, were associated with RS. Cigarette smoking was associated with the presence of RS in all regions. The prevalence of RS in the three administrative regions investigated is consistent with that of other areas with a similar socioeconomic profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]