Rhinovirus and Acute Respiratory Infections in Hospitalized Children a Moroccan Retrospective Study 2021–2025

Abstract

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five. Multiplex PCR enables rapid identification of a wide range of respiratory pathogens. This study assessed the role of Rhinovirus in pediatric ARI in Morocco.Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted at the Virology Laboratory of Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital (HMIMV) in Rabat, from September 2021 to September 2025, including 125 children under five years of age hospitalized in pediatrics and tested with the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (BioFire®).Results: The mean age was 3 years, with a male predominance (M/F sex-ratio = 1.36). The PCR positivity rate was 72.0% (n = 90). A total of 122 pathogens were identified (118 viral, 4 bacterial). Rhinovirus/Enterovirus was the most frequent agent (42.4%), followed by RSV (15.3%), SARS-CoV-2 (11.9%), and Adenovirus (10.2%). Co-infections accounted for 35.6% of positive samples, mostly virus–virus.Conclusion: Multiplex respiratory PCR confirms the leading role of Rhinovirus in pediatric ARI in Morocco in the post-COVID era and represents a key tool for diagnostic and therapeutic guidance.