Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40688525›Full record

ArticleIJID regions2025

Profiles of viral pathogens from individuals with acute respiratory tract infections in northern Tanzania.

Joshua Stephen Mollel, Shabani Ramadhani Mziray, Arnold Ndaro, Elimsaada Kituma, Innocent Kamwamwa, Lawrence Mapunda, Hadija Semvua, Stellah George Mpagama, Jaffu Othniel Chilongola

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In one paragraph

Article in IJID regions, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Joshua Stephen MollelSchool of Public Health, KCMC University, Moshi, Tanzania.
Shabani Ramadhani MzirayDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, KCMC University, Moshi, Tanzania.
Arnold NdaroDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, KCMC University, Moshi, Tanzania.
Elimsaada KitumaDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, KCMC University, Moshi, Tanzania.
Innocent KamwamwaClinical Laboratory Department, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.
Lawrence MapundaNational Public Health Laboratory, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Hadija SemvuaFaculty of Pharmacy, KCMC University, Moshi, Tanzania.
Stellah George MpagamaKibong'oto Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
Jaffu Othniel ChilongolaDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, KCMC University, Moshi, Tanzania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) may be misdiagnosed due to bottlenecks in conventional diagnostics. The primary objective was to identify viral pathogens using reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted between 2022 and 2024 at Tanzanian referral hospitals. Viral RNA was extracted from oral-nasopharyngeal swabs and amplified using multiplex and singleplex RT-PCR. Cycle threshold values ≤40 and ≤35 were considered positive for multiplex and singleplex RT-PCR, respectively. Results: We recruited 183 participants with median age of 52 years (interquartile range, 32-69). Of these, 119 (65%) were females. The majority (167 of 183, 91.3%) had no COVID-19 vaccination. Over one-third (67 of 183, 36.61%) were PCR-positive for viral pathogens. Seven viral pathogens were identified, and the more prevalent were influenza A virus (Flu A) (n = 27), SARS-CoV-2 (n = 10), and respiratory syncytial virus (n = 7). The most common co-infecting viruses were FluA + respiratory syncytial virus (n = 6), Flu A + influenza B virus + SARS-CoV-2 (n = 4), and SARS-CoV-2 + Flu A (n = 3). Elderly people (aged >65 years) were commonly infected with Flu A (n = 9) and SARS-CoV-2 (n = 5). Conclusions: Viral pathogens are common in people with ARTIs. This study emphasizes consideration of RT-PCR in addition to conventional diagnostic approaches for identifying viral pathogens in patients with ARTIs.

Indexed as

Acute respiratory tract infectionsHuman respiratory syncytial virusInfluenza A virusPCRSARS-CoV-2Viral pathogens

Identifiers

PMID40688525
PMCPMC12272941

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.