Abstract
Viral infections of the respiratory tract are responsible for large amounts of time lost from the workplace and significant morbidity and mortality in the very young and the very old. The worldwide pandemic of influenza in 1918 was alone responsible for nearly 30 million deaths in excess of those expected for influenza. Viral respiratory infections are the most frequent illnesses in human beings. The most frequent causes of respiratory infections are adenoviruses, influenza viruses, parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, and rhinoviruses. Frequency and severity of infection are increased in the very young and the elderly, worsened by crowding and inhaling pollutants, and influenced by anatomic, metabolic, genetic, and immunologic disorders. Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in children under age 5 living in underdeveloped countries.1
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Keywords
- Chronic Obstructive pUlmonary Disease
- Influenza Virus
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus
- Sore Throat
- Common Cold
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Kirkpatrick, G.L. (2003). Viral Infections of the Respiratory Tract. In: Taylor, R.B., David, A.K., Fields, S.A., Phillips, D.M., Scherger, J.E. (eds) Fundamentals of Family Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-21745-1_10
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