Abstract
Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis are major causes of mortality and morbidity in children under 5 years of age. The main microbial agents responsible for ALRTI are either bacterial agents (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Mycoplasma pneumoniae) or viruses (respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, also known as human orthopneumovirus), Myxovirus influenzae, Myxovirus parainfluenzae, adenovirus) [1]. More recently, other viruses (rhinovirus, metapneumovirus, coronavirus, bocavirus) have been implicated in ALRTI; their identification has been facilitated by new molecular biology techniques such as real-time PCR. To our knowledge, these emerging viruses have never been the subject of epidemiologic studies in our country.