Our data suggest that interactions between RSV and nasopharyngeal microbiota might modulate the host immune response, potentially affecting clinical disease severity.

In this study, Mejias and colleagues found that specific blood RNA profiles of infants with RSV LRTI allowed for specific diagnosis, better understanding of disease pathogenesis, and better assessment of disease severity. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Infants with severe RSV bronchiolitis had increased plasma cytokine concentrations and yet impaired innate immunity cytokine production capacity, which predicted worse disease outcomes. Immune monitoring of otherwise healthy infants with RSV lower respiratory tract infection could help identify patients at risk for severe disease at the time of hospitalization.