A community-based study of acute respiratory infections among preschool children in Syria.

A longitudinal community-based study of the epidemiology of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children less than 5 years old was carried out in a low income peri-urban area of Syria. A total of 1030 children were followed up by weekly morbidity surveillance for a period of 24 weeks, starting September 1989. The results revealed that, on average, a child suffered 3.4 episodes of ARI per 100 child-days at risk. The average prevalence of ARI was 23 per cent of time of observation. The peak age-specific incidence occurred in children 6-12 months old for cough/cold, and in children 0-5 months for pneumonia. Male children experienced higher incidence and prevalence of ARI. The most frequently reported symptoms were nasal discharge and cough.