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Table 1 Characteristics of studies on viral aetiology in hospitalised adults and older children with pneumonia or clinical lower respiratory tract infection in sub-Saharan Africa.

From: Viral pneumonia in adults and older children in sub-Saharan Africa — epidemiology, aetiology, diagnosis and management

Study, year [ ] Reference

Country

Study period

Setting

Study population

“Pneumonia” definition

Specimen

Viral diagnostic test

Joosting et al., 1979 [44]

South Africa

May 1966–Apr 1972

Hospital-based observational study

Black miners

Acute respiratory disease (definition not stated)

Throat swabs & serum

Viral culture & serology (HAI or complement fixation)

Scott et al., 2000 [8]

Kenya

Mar 1994–May 1996

Hospital-based observational study

>15 years

Pneumonia (>2 symptoms of fever, cough, sputum, chest pain, SOB, or haemoptysis; symptoms <14 days; consolidation on CXR)

Serum

Complement fixation

Hartung et al., 2011 [45]

Malawi

Feb 2006–Sept 2006

Hospital-based observational study

>18 years

Pneumonia (>1 symptom of cough, sputum, chest pain, SOB, chest pain or haemoptysis; CXR changes) + admission to HDU

BAL fluid

rRT-PCR

Feikin et al., 2012 [39]

Kenya

Mar 2007–Feb 2010

Population-based surveillance

>5 years

ARI (cough or difficulty breathing or chest pain and temperature >38.0 °C or oxygen saturation <90% or hospitalisation)

NP & OP swabs

rRT-PCR

Pretorius et al., 2012 [41]

South Africa

Feb 2009–Dec 2010

Hospital-based surveillance (6 hospitals)

>5 years

SARI (fever; cough or sore throat; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; symptoms <7 days)

NP & OP swabs

rRT-PCR

  1. HAI, haemaglutination inhibition assay; SOB, shortness of breath; CXR, chest radiograph (x-ray); HDU, high dependency unit; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; rRT-PCR, real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; ARI, acute respiratory infection; NP, nasopharyngeal; OP, oropharyngeal; SARI, severe acute respiratory infection.