Study results demonstrate a relationship between common respiratory infections and acute otitis media, with RSV in particular
causing a significantly increased risk, according to findings published in Heliyon. Investigators examined the association between com-
mon respiratory viruses and acute otitis media using nasopharyngeal swabs. Quantitative PCR determined the presence of 10 respiratory viruses, including RSV, influenza, and rhinovirus. Among 255 children with an upper respiratory tract infection (median age, 36 months), 64.1% were positive for at least one respiratory virus. The most common viruses were RSV (24.3%), parainfluenza viruses 14 (15.5%), and influenza virus type A (13.8%). Positivity for RSV was significantly higher in the group of children with an upper respiratory tract infection and acute otitis media compared with the group of children with an upper respiratory tract infection alone; these groups did not differ in infection rates for the other nine viruses.
