Prevalence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Among Hospitalised Children Under Two Years in Katsina State

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the primary cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children worldwide. In resource-limited settings such as Katsina State, North West Nigeria, RSV burden remains poorly characterised, partly due to limited diagnostic capacity at paediatric wards. This study determines the prevalence of RSV among children under two years hospitalised for acute lower respiratory illness at Turai Umaru Yar'Adua Maternal and Child Hospital, Katsina. A prospective cross-sectional design will enrol 320 eligible children over one year. Nasopharyngeal swabs will be collected within 48 hours of admission and tested using RSV-specific rapid antigen detection kits, with confirmatory RT-PCR for positive samples. Clinical severity will be assessed using the Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument. Associations between RSV positivity, age, nutritional status, breastfeeding history, and household overcrowding will be evaluated. The global literature indicates RSV accounts for 20 to 30 percent of hospitalised childhood pneumonia cases, yet Nigerian paediatric RSV data are concentrated in southern states. Findings will provide northern Nigeria-specific epidemiological evidence to support the inclusion of RSV passive immunisation strategies in Katsina's child health programmes and to advocate for improved point-of-care RSV diagnostics in paediatric facilities across the North West zone. Keywords: RSV, respiratory illness, hospitalised children, Katsina State, acute lower respiratory infection