Surveillance of Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV], Influenza A and B Viral Infections in COVID-19 Negative Individuals in Oyo State, Nigeria

Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for robust surveillance of other respiratory viruses, as their overlapping clinical presentations with SARS-CoV-2 can complicate accurate diagnosis.This retrospective study investigated the prevalence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Influenza A and B infections among SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals in Oyo State, Nigeria.Methods: We collected nasopharyngeal samples (n = 206) between January 2023 and June 2023 from adults and children who tested negative for COVID-19 using RT-qPCR.These samples underwent analysis via a standardized protocol, including viral RNA extraction and a multiplex one-step RT-qPCR assay, with data analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 25).Results: Among individuals who tested negative for COVID-19, RSV was detected in 2.8% of children and 2.0% of adults, Influenza B was found in 2.8% of children and 1.0% of adults, and Influenza A was shown in 1.0% of adults but in no children.The mean age was 2.97 years for children and 33.51 years for adults.Conclusion: Although detection rates were low, our findings underscore the continued need to screen for RSV and Influenza A and B in individuals with respiratory symptoms, even after a negative SARS-CoV-2 test.Sustained surveillance is critical to understand respiratory viral epidemiology, including circulation dynamics, geographic variations, and outbreak hotspots, guiding evidence-based public health and clinical strategies.Future prospective sentinel surveillance studies could further elucidate the complexities of respiratory viral co-infections and reveal nuanced spatiotemporal and demographic patterns.