Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a major public health concern. This study aims to investigate the profiles and epidemiological characteristics of acute RTIs and respiratory pathogens in Palestinian hospitalized patients. Clinical samples from hospitalized patients with symptoms of acute RTIs admitted between January 2011 and December 2016 were referred to the Palestinian Central Public Health Laboratory (PHCL) to identify the causative pathogen. Patients’ demographic information and the results of the molecular identification were retrieved from the electronic database at the PHCL. A total of 15413 patients with acute RTIs were hospitalized during the study period. The causal agent was identified only in 28.7% of the patients. Overall, influenza viruses were the most common cause of RTIs among hospitalized Palestinian patients in the West Bank. Children and elderlies were the most affected with RTIs. The elderly population (≥60 years old) had the highest rates. After influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) were the most common causes of acute RTIs among hospitalized Palestinian patients. Children showed the highest hospitalization rates for RSV, B. pertussis, adenovirus, enterovirus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. On the other hand, elderlies had the highest rates of influenza. Outbreaks of RTIs occurred mainly during winter (between December and March). The resurgence of B. pertussis in spite of vaccination is alarming and requires further investigation.

中文翻译：

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巴勒斯坦住院患者的急性呼吸道感染（2011-2016年）：一项回顾性研究。

呼吸道感染（RTIs）是主要的公共卫生问题。这项研究旨在调查巴勒斯坦住院患者的急性RTI和呼吸道病原体的概况和流行病学特征。在2011年1月至2016年12月期间收治的具有急性RTIs症状的住院患者的临床样品已转交给巴勒斯坦中央公共卫生实验室（PHCL）以确定病原体。从PHCL的电子数据库中检索患者的人口统计学信息和分子鉴定结果。在研究期间，共有15413例急性RTIs患者入院。仅在28.7％的患者中发现了病因。全面的，在西岸住院的巴勒斯坦患者中，流感病毒是引起RTI的最常见原因。儿童和老年人受RTI的影响最大。老年人口（≥60岁）的发病率最高。甲型流感病毒，呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）和百日咳博德特氏菌（百日咳博德特氏菌）是住院的巴勒斯坦患者中最常见的急性RTI病因。儿童对RSV，百日咳博德特氏菌，腺病毒，肠病毒和肺炎链球菌的住院率最高。另一方面，老年人的流感发病率最高。RTIs暴发主要发生在冬季（12月至3月）。尽管进行了疫苗接种，百日咳博德特氏菌的复发仍令人震惊，需要进一步调查。