Acute respiratory infections: a longitudinal study of 151 children in Burkina-Faso.

A longitudinal study of 151 children under five years of age was performed in a rural village of Burkina-Faso (West Africa). During systematic examinations by a physician during the rainy season, 44% of the children were found to be ill and 59% of these had an acute respiratory infection (ARI). During the dry season, the rates were 48% and 73% respectively. Weekly interviews by a field worker showed 6.2 attacks of ARI during the six months of the rainy season and 7.0 during the six months of the dry season. Risk factors for ARI were malnutrition assessed by arm circumference, and a high birth rank. At the 'field-dispensary', ARI accounted for 41% of the visits; lower respiratory infections (LRI) accounted for 24%, similar to the proportion of LRI among illnesses found during the systematic examination.