Severe Infection in Surinamese Children

Severe  Infection in Surinamese children

Severe infection are a cause of high morbidity and mortality in children. These involve mostly severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). Although it is well known that many lethal infections are observed in developing countries, quite some regional differences between and within countries have been shown. At this moment surveillance (based on clinical criteria) is being intensified in many countries. However, there is no reliable data for severe infection and the causative pathogens in Suriname. It is known that most severe cases of respiratory infections are caused by bacteria and there is increasing evidence that a substantial part of hospitalizations are caused by viruses, predominantly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Ninety-nine (99)% of RSV deaths occur in developing countries. Therefore, between 2012 and 2016 studies were performed in Surinamese chilren aimed at severe (respiratory) infections and the (viral) pathogens causing SARI. Several papers and a PhD thesis are currently published, shedding light on impact, pathogens, and mechanisms of severe infection among children in Suriname, also as a blueprint for other low-to-middle-income countries. In 2022 another important study on severe infection due to Streptococcus pneumoniae was initiated to investigate the need for prevention by vaccination.