India makes up 18% of the global population, with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) as one of the prominent causes of mortality in children >5 years of age. A recent review determined the prevalence of respiratory infections in various regions of India through published reports. 

The study results indicate an excessive load of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; 32% of the global count) due to respiratory infections compared to the country′s total population. It also provides a broad evaluation of the burden of respiratory viruses and diseases in different states of India, as classified under four geographical regions from 1970 to 2020, based on all accessible data. 

One of the prime findings of this study is that most states in India have higher rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and parainfluenza infections, and these make the top three infectious viruses. It also describes that from 2016 to 2017, there has been a significant rise in rhinovirus infection. 

This review points to the need for improved detection of multiple viruses and informed management of their infections. These inferences from the prevalence data can help decide the diagnostic priorities in these regions and devise local protocols for routine diagnosis. 

This study also highlights the origin of most reports from areas with established research facilities. Hence, we should either expand the coverage of these research facilities or establish a few more diagnostic research laboratories in remote areas not accessed by the public so far for diagnosing these viruses. Concerning this, the decision for the establishment of VRDLs in 2016 by the Department of Health Research (DHR)/Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has brought new hope. It will help the country′s capacity for the early diagnosis of all viral infections with public health importance in the Indian context. 

Waghmode R, Jadhav S, Nema V. The Burden of Respiratory Viruses and Their Prevalence in Different Geographical Regions of India: 1970–2020. Front. Microbiol., Aug 31, 2021;12. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.723850