Stunting Increases Influenza Virus Shedding Duration in Preschool/School-Aged Children.
prospective_cohort · Level II
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41413941.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1093/infdis/jiaf641 and PMC identifier 13016895.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The role of undernutrition on influenza virus shedding is unclear. We assessed stunting, an indicator of chronic undernutrition, as a predictor of shedding duration in children in the Household Influenza Cohort Study, in Managua, Nicaragua. Stunted children, aged 3-9 years, shed influenza longer than their nonstunted peers. In sub-group analysis, associations were driven by H3N2 and influenza B (IB) infections. Analysis of cycle threshold (Ct) values showed slower clearance of IB viruses in stunted children. These findings suggest undernutrition may prolong influenza shedding, with implications for transmission dynamics and control strategies in low- and middle-income countries where stunting remains prevalent.
Medical subject headings
- Virus Shedding
- Influenza, Human
- Growth Disorders
- Influenza B virus
- Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype