Zhao Y, Lu R, Shen J, et al. - In order to report on viral and epidemiological profiles of hospitalized children with a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Beijing or Shanghai, China, researchers obtained 700 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) from hospitalized children with SARI in Beijing (northern China) and Shanghai (southern China). A positive test for viral infections was noted in 547 of 700 NPA (78.1%). The most common (34.0%) were the picornaviruses (PIC), which included rhinovirus (RV) and enterovirus (EV), these were followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (28.3%), human bocavirus (19.1%), adenovirus (13.7%), human coronaviruses (HCoV) (10.7%), influenza A and B (8.9%), parainfluenza virus (PIV 1–3) (7.9%), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) (5.0%). In both cities, the most prevalent etiological agents of SARI were PIC (RV/EV) and RSV. In Beijing vs Shanghai, they observed significantly higher total and age-matched prevalence of RSV, HCoV, and HMPV among SARI children under 5 years old. Beijing and Shanghai differed in age and seasonal distribution patterns of the viral infections. These findings enhance the understanding regarding the roles of geographic location and climate in respiratory viral infections in hospitalized children with SARI.