Epidemiological characteristics of 11 respiratory pathogens among 19,382 hospitalized children in Putian city

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of common respiratory pathogens among children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in Putian city with the aim of providing a scientific basis for regional pediatric respiratory infection prevention. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 19,382 children hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University between January 1, 2023, and December 30, 2025. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis was employed to detect 11 common respiratory pathogens. Results A total of 19,382 hospitalized children were enrolled, with an overall respiratory pathogen positivity rate of 69.40%. The positivity rate was highest among preschool-aged children and lowest among adolescents. Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) exhibited the highest detection rate in school-aged children (38.57%), while human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) demonstrated the highest detection rate in infants and toddlers (19.53%). The pathogen positivity rate was 70.24% in males and 68.20% in females, with a statistically significant difference between sexes. Among the 19,382 children with ARTIs, single-pathogen detection predominated, accounting for 58.89%; dual-pathogen detection accounted for 9.93%, and multiple-pathogen detection accounted for 0.57%. Respiratory pathogen positivity rates showed seasonal fluctuations, peaking in winter 2023 (73.98%), spring 2024 (77.85%), and autumn 2025 (74.17%). In addition, the positivity rates of influenza A virus (InfA), influenza B virus (InfB) decreased with increasing temperature, whereas those of HRSV, human coronavirus (HCOV) increased with increasing temperature. A total of 15,601 pathogen detection events were recorded; the three most frequently detected pathogens were human rhinovirus (HRV; 24.66%), Mp (23.68%), and HRSV (14.52%). Conclusion The overall positivity rate of respiratory pathogens among children hospitalized with ARTIs in Putian was high (69.40%), with distinct age-related and seasonal characteristics. Mp predominated in school-aged children, whereas HRSV predominated in infants and toddlers. Pathogen detection peaked in autumn–winter 2023, spring 2024, and autumn 2025. HRV, Mp, and HRSV were the three dominant pathogens. The dual- and multiple-detection groups had median hospital stays of 6 days, compared with 5 days in the pathogen-negative and single-detection groups. These findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing clinical diagnosis and treatment of pediatric respiratory infections in this region.