WHO has reported a high mortality rate from acute respiratory infections

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 4 million people, mostly infants and children, die from acute respiratory infections every year. This circumstance is complicated by a combination of viral and bacterial infections, which leads to a more severe course of diseases. This is stated in a publication in the Russian Medical Journal. Medical Review", which Izvestia reviewed on August 22.

"Bacterial and viral infections significantly increase the severity of the disease, especially when the infection causes a secondary bacterial infection, as happened in 1918 and during the COVID-19 pandemic," the experts note.

According to WHO, acute respiratory infections (ARI) occupy a leading position among the causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Among the most vulnerable groups are children and infants, for whom the consequences of such diseases can be particularly severe.

An example of such diseases is the COVID-19 pandemic, when many patients became victims of a secondary bacterial infection, which significantly complicated the clinical picture. Similar situations were observed in 1918, when high mortality was associated with the development of pneumonia due to bacterial infections.

According to the publication, the confluence of viral and bacterial infections predisposes to the occurrence of bacterial superinfections, which increases the severity of diseases. Viruses, interacting with bacterial pathogens, enhance bacterial adhesion to host cells, which contributes to the development of complex diseases. These interactions can also weaken the body's immune response, making it more difficult to fight infection.

Studies show that viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial can reduce the activity of macrophages and neutrophils, which in turn promotes the penetration of bacteria into the respiratory tract. In addition, some diseases, such as the flu, can alter cell functions, suppressing normal immune responses and increasing the body's susceptibility to bacterial infections.

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