Background: Acute respiratory tract infections are a major cause of morbidity and absence from work across the globe as also in India.

Objective: To study the spectrumof respiratory tract infections (RTI) among hospitalized youngsters from a training institute during an outbreak of acute respiratory illness.

Methods:  Trainees hospitalized for acute febrile illness underwent clinical examination and investigations including complete blood count, sputum Gram stain, culture and antibiotic sensitivity test and chest skiagram. All patients were provided appropriate treatment.

Results: A total534 trainees suffered from RTI. Of these, 69 trainees(12.9%) were admitted during the period 13 April to 30 April 2018 with mean age of 19.6(+/–2SD) years.Fever, cough and chest pain were the presenting symptoms. Majority (52.2%) were diagnosed with Community Acquired Pneumonia(CAP)followed by acute bronchitis(24.7%), viral fever with exanthem (11.6%) and viral fever (7.2%). Chest Radiograph showed lobar consolidation (44.5%) with maximuminvolving Right Lower Zone(RLZ).Infecting organisms could be isolated in seven cases–Streptococcus spp in five, Staphylococcus sppand Klebsiellaspp in one case each.

Conclusions: CAP followed by acute bronchitis were chiefly responsible for hospitalization during an outbreak of acute respiratory infections among young trainees.