To investigate the epidemiologic profile of contamination by multiple respiratory viruses (including influenza virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus) in the environments of medical institutions in Changsha City in 2023, aiming to provide scientific evidence for the formulation of infection control measures.

A total of 663 environmental samples were collected from 11 medical institutions in Changsha City, encompassing various types such as air, desktops, countertops, trash cans, power switches, door handles, elevator buttons, faucets in washrooms, water dispensers, and other surface swab samples. RT-PCR technology was employed to conduct nucleic acid testing for multiple respiratory viruses. The overall positive rates of respiratory viruses among different types of medical institutions, surveillance areas, and environmental samples were comparatively analyzed.

The study revealed that the overall positive rate of nucleic acids for multiple respiratory viruses in the medical institution environments of Changsha City in 2023 was 10.41%, and the positive rates for influenza virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus were 0.90%, 5.28%, 3.77%, and 0.45%, respectively. Among the different types of medical institutions, general hospitals exhibited the highest positive rate of multiple respiratory viruses, reaching 15.22%, while specialized hospitals and other medical institutions (including welfare hospitals and physical examination institutions) had positive rates of 10.71% and 2.61%, respectively. In terms of surveillance areas, outpatient diagnosis and treatment areas demonstrated the highest overall positive rate of multiple respiratory viruses, standing at 12.50%, while public areas and inpatient wards exhibited lower positive rates. Additionally, swab samples collected from desktops, countertops, and trash cans showed the highest overall positive rate of multiple respiratory viruses, accounting for 15.45%. Samples from other sources, including faucets and water dispensers in washrooms, power switches, elevator buttons, door handles, and air samples, also exhibited varying degrees of positive rates. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences in the overall positive rates of multiple respiratory viruses among different types of medical institutions, surveillance areas, and environmental samples (P<0.05).

The presence of multiple respiratory viruses in the environments of medical institutions in Changsha City in 2023 suggests the urgent need for enhanced epidemiologic surveillance and disinfection measures to effectively prevent and control nosocomial infections.