Viral etiology of frequently recurring respiratory tract infections in children.

The viral etiology of frequently recurring respiratory tract infection (FRRI) in children aged <2 years was studied. Altogether, 329 children were followed from 2 to 24 months of age in the Finnish Otitis Media Cohort Study. Children with FRRI were defined as having > or =9 episodes of upper respiratory tract infection (URI) and/or > or =4 episodes of acute otitis media during follow-up. Nasopharyngeal aspirates, middle ear fluid specimens, and serum samples were analyzed for 8 common respiratory viruses. Of 1358 URI episodes, 642 (47%) occurred in the 78 children with FRRI. At least 1 virus was associated with 62% of these episodes, whereas the corresponding figure for children without FRRIs was 54%. The frequency of different viruses was similar in both groups, but the relative proportion of rhinovirus infections was slightly higher among children with FRRI. In conclusion, a specific viral etiology does not explain the excess of URI episodes in children with FRRI.