RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AND AIR POLLUTION, RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS

The harmful effect of air pollution on health has been recognised for most of the last century. The evidence for a relationship between indoor pollution and respiratory infections has been demonstrated in several studies. In recent years, an increasing number of cases of laryngo-tracheo-bronchitis, usually due to influenza or parainfluenza viruses, have been recorded. Recent studies have suggested that air pollution may change the clinical picture of the respiratory infections, by exacerbating the symptoms. In the recent years, the main pollution sources are accidental industrial emissions, intense traffic or the domestic heating, that have been contributing to the constant over-runs of the normal values of the pollution markers. In Constanta county, 1012 influenza cases were reported between 2007 and 2017, significantly more cases in the last 3 seasons (24% of all reported influenza cases in Romania): 2014/2015 - 127 cases including 55 patients with serious acute respiratory infections (SARI), 2015/2016 - 365 cases (74 patients with SARI) and 2016/2017 - 138 cases (4 patients with serious acute respiratory infections). Considering these environmental changes, as well as the risks of susceptible population due to the lack of vaccination, the severity of respiratory infections is also increasing, mainly related to influenza.