Viral Infection Profile in Children Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—Results of Nationwide Study

Abstract

Viral infections can be a serious complication of therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In this study, we focused on the incidence and the profile of viral infection in children with ALL treated in 17 pediatric oncology centers in Poland in the two-year periods of 2018–2019 and 2020–2021. We also compared the frequency of viral infections in 2018–2019 to that in 2020–2021. In 2020–2021, a total of 192 children with ALL had a viral infection during intensive chemotherapy. A total number of 312 episodes of viral infections were diagnosed. The most common infections detected in the samples were: COVID-19 (23%), rhinovirus (18%), and respiratory syncytial virus (14%). COVID-19 and BK virus infections were the reason for the death 1% of all patients. In 2018–2019, a total of 53 ALL patients who had a viral infection were reported and 72 viral events were observed, mainly adenovirus (48.6%), rotavirus (31.9%), and herpes zoster (8.3%). No deaths were reported during this period. The cumulative incidence of viral infections in 2018–2019 was 10.4%, while for 2020–2021, it was 36.7%. In conclusion, a high incidence of COVID-19 infection was observed among pediatric patients with ALL in Poland. The mortality rate in our material was low. The viral profile in ALL children undergoing chemotherapy can be useful for clinicians to improve prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.