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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in infants and young children worldwide. Here we evaluated host demographic and viral factors associated with RSV disease severity in 325 RSV-infected infants under 1 year of age from 3 European countries during 2017-2020. Younger infants had a higher clinical severity (ReSViNET) score and were more likely to require hospitalization, intensive care, respiratory support, and/or mechanical ventilation than older infants (<3 months vs 3 to <6 months and 3 to <6 months vs ≥6 months). Older age (≥6 months vs <3 months), higher viral load, and RSV-A were associated with a greater probability of fever. RSV-A and RSV-B caused similar disease severity and had similar viral dynamics. Infants with a more severe RSV infection, demonstrated by having a higher ReSViNET score, fever, and requiring hospitalization and intensive care, were more likely to have developed subsequent wheezing at 1 year of age. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03756766.

Original publication

DOI

10.1093/infdis/jiac163

Type

Journal article

Journal

J infect dis

Publication Date

12/08/2022

Volume

226

Pages

S45 - S54

Keywords

disease severity, respiratory syncytial virus, subgroup, viral load, wheezing, Hospitalization, Humans, Infant, Respiratory Sounds, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human, Severity of Illness Index