Consequences of RSV Infection in Young Infant

Abstract

Each year, an estimated 33.1 million episodes of Respiratory Syncytial Virus associated to acute lower respiratory tract infections (RSV-LRTI) occur globally in children under five.In addition to acute morbidity and mortality, RSV-LRTI has long-term effects on children’s health. RSV-LRTI is associated with recurrent wheeze in the year following infection and with the development of childhood asthma, which in turn is a major risk factor of asthma in adulthood and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The burden of RSV-LRTI in infants age 0-5m is up to 10x higher in low- and middle-income countries, suggesting that post-RSV associated recurrent wheeze and asthma frequency may be higher too.We know little about the long-term effects of RSV infection in infants in developing healthcare systems – collecting clinical samples from young infants and a lack of an appropriate diagnostic to detect RSV virus are major obstacles to studying the infection in such countries.