RSV Epidemiology in Kenyan Children Under 5, 2008-2026

Long-term surveillance data for Respiratory Syncytial Virus among children under 5 admitted to Kilifi County Hospital from January 2008 to January 2026. The dataset contains PCR test results, patient sociodemographic characteristics, cycle thresholds, discharge outcomes, and disease severity. It was created by Esther Nyadzua Katama for the Virus Epidemiology and Control Dataverse to explore age distribution, disease severity, and seasonal patterns of RSV before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal patterns of RSV based on PCR test dates spanning 18 years
• Modeling disease severity outcomes based on patient sociodemographic characteristics
• Comparing age distribution of RSV cases before and after the COVID-19 pandemic
• Investigating the relationship between PCR cycle threshold values and discharge outcomes

Strengths

• 18-year longitudinal surveillance from 2008 to 2026
• Includes multiple data points per patient: PCR results, demographics, outcomes, and severity

Limitations

• Row count and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download

Provenance

Source

Virus Epidemiology and Control (VEC) Dataverse

Collection Method

Real-time PCR testing of samples from children under 5 admitted to Kilifi County Hospital

Time Range

2008-01-01 to 2026-01-31

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-15 08:34:37

Geography

Coastal Kenya