Epidemiology of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Related Hospitalization Over a 5-Year Period in Italy: Evaluation of Seasonality and Age Distribution Before Vaccine Introduction

Barbati, Federica; Moriondo, Maria; Pisano, Laura; Calistri, Elisa; Lodi, Lorenzo; Ricci, Silvia; Giovannini, Mattia; Canessa, Clementina; Indolfi, Giuseppe; Azzari, Chiara

doi:10.3390/vaccines8010015

Cited by 34 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The symptomatology of an RSV infection generally starts after a 4–6 day incubation period, with flu-like symptoms and manifestations affecting the upper airways, such as nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and cough. In neonates and children below the age of 2 years, the clinical picture may evolve into bronchiolitis, the most common clinical syndrome associated with severe RSV infection [ 1 , 10 ].…”

Section: Clinical Forms Of Rsv Infection: Bronchiolitismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, there is no Italian national system for surveillance of hospitalizations suspected to be due to RSV, which should be implemented using SARI and LRTI case definitions; however, hospitalization surveillance studies have monitored and analyzed SARIs and LRTIs in defined geographic areas and time periods [ 1 , 42 – 44 ].…”

Section: Epidemiological Surveillancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common pathogenic agent responsible for respiratory infections in children up to the age of 2 years and causes a wide range of clinical manifestations, including upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) [ 1 ]. More than 60% of all children are infected by RSV within 1 year after birth and nearly all children are infected by RSV at least once within 2 years after birth [ 2 , 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…RSV is a seasonal virus, characterized by variable epidemiology, depending on geographic area and climate. In temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere, including Italy, virus diffusion generally occurs in the period spanning October/November to March/April, with peak incidence in January/February, which partly overlaps with the influenza virus season [ 1 , 5 ]. In Italy, restrictive measures for prevention and control of the SARS-COV-2 virus pandemic – especially physical distancing, the use of face masks, and the discontinuation of in-person teaching activities – are likely responsible for the reduced circulation of RSV and other respiratory pathogens during the 2020–2021 season detected by the Italian Influenza Surveillance Network (InfluNet) system [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Epidemiology and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children in Italy

et al. 2021

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading global cause of respiratory infections in infants and the second most frequent cause of death during the first year of life. This highly contagious seasonal virus is responsible for approximately 3 million hospitalizations and 120,000 deaths annually among children under the age of 5 years. Bronchiolitis is the most common severe manifestation; however, RSV infections are associated with an increased long-term risk for recurring wheezing and the development of asthma. There is an unmet need for new agents and a universal strategy to prevent RSV infections starting at the time of birth. RSV is active between November and April in Italy, and prevention strategies must ensure that all neonates and infants under 1 year of age are protected during the endemic season, regardless of gestational age at birth and timing of birth relative to the epidemic season. Approaches under development include maternal vaccines to protect neonates during their first months, monoclonal antibodies to provide immediate protection lasting up to 5 months, and pediatric vaccines for longer-lasting protection. Meanwhile, improvements are needed in infection surveillance and reporting to improve case identification and better characterize seasonal trends in infections along the Italian peninsula. Rapid diagnostic tests and confirmatory laboratory testing should be used for the differential diagnosis of respiratory pathogens in children. Stakeholders and policymakers must develop access pathways once new agents are available to reduce the burden of infections and hospitalizations.

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Section: Clinical Forms Of Rsv Infection: Bronchiolitismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Epidemiological Surveillancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Epidemiology and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children in Italy

et al. 2021

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“…As described above, neuroinflammation can contribute to several behavioral and cognitive disorders [ 26 , 27 ]. Among the most relevant respiratory viruses leading to inflammation in the CNS are the influenza virus, the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), and SARS-CoV2 [ 68 , 69 , 70 ]. The influenza virus′s relevance is its capability to infect people of a wide range of ages during the winter season and can cause neurological alteration from pregnancy [ 71 , 72 ].…”

Section: Neuroinflammation Induced By Respiratory Virusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of Pro-Inflammatory Molecules Induced by Respiratory Virus Infections to Neurological Disorders

2021

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Neurobehavioral alterations and cognitive impairment are common phenomena that represent neuropsychiatric disorders and can be triggered by an exacerbated immune response against pathogens, brain injury, or autoimmune diseases. Pro-inflammatory molecules, such as cytokines and chemokines, are produced in the brain by resident cells, mainly by microglia and astrocytes. Brain infiltrating immune cells constitutes another source of these molecules, contributing to an impaired neurological synapse function, affecting typical neurobehavioral and cognitive performance. Currently, there is increasing evidence supporting the notion that behavioral alterations and cognitive impairment can be associated with respiratory viral infections, such as human respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and SARS-COV-2, which are responsible for endemic, epidemic, or pandemic outbreak mainly in the winter season. This article will review the brain′s pro-inflammatory response due to infection by three highly contagious respiratory viruses that are the leading cause of acute respiratory illness, morbidity, and mobility in infants, immunocompromised and elderly population. How these respiratory viral pathogens induce increased secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules and their relationship with the alterations at a behavioral and cognitive level will be discussed.

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Defining RSV epidemic season in southwest China and assessing the relationship between birth month and RSV infection: A 10‐year retrospective study from June 2009 to May 2019

Fang

Liu

et al. 2023

Journal of Medical Virology

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common causes of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). However, only limited information is available regarding its seasonality and its relationship with birth month. A retrospective hospital‐based study was carried out from June 2009 to May 2019 in Chongqing, southwest of China. LRTI cases under 5 years were enrolled in this study and PCR was used to detect 8 respiratory viruses. RSV seasonality was determined using “average annual percentage” (AAP) and “percent positivity” method. A total of 6991 cases were enrolled in this study, with an RSV positivity of 34.5%. From June 2009 to May 2019, we analyzed RSV epidemic season during 10 RSV epidemic years in Chongqing using two methods. The result of AAP method was similar to that of percent positivity method with a 30% threshold, which showed an epidemic season of roughly October to March in the subsequent year, with a small peak in June. On average, the RSV epidemic season in RSV‐A dominant years typically started earlier (week 42 for RSV‐A vs. week 46 for RSV‐B), ended earlier (week 12 for RSV‐A vs. week 14 for RSV‐B), lasted longer (24 weeks for RSV‐A vs. 22 weeks for RSV‐B), and reached its peak earlier (week 2 for RSV‐A vs. week 3 for RSV‐B) than in RSV‐B dominant years. The proportion of severe LRTI was higher in cases of single infection with RSV‐A compared to those of single infection with RSV‐B (26.3% vs. 22.3%, p = 0.024). Among infants under 1 year, those born in May and August through December were more likely to be infected with RSV. Infants born 1–2 months before the epidemic season were relatively more susceptible to RSV infection. In Chongqing, the RSV epidemic was seasonal and usually lasted from October to March of next year with a small peak in summer. Infants born 1–2 months before the epidemic season were relatively more susceptible to RSV infection and this population should be targeted while developing RSV immunization strategies.

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Epidemiology of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Related Hospitalization Over a 5-Year Period in Italy: Evaluation of Seasonality and Age Distribution Before Vaccine Introduction

Cited by 34 publications

References 24 publications

Epidemiology and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children in Italy

Epidemiology and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children in Italy

Contribution of Pro-Inflammatory Molecules Induced by Respiratory Virus Infections to Neurological Disorders

Defining RSV epidemic season in southwest China and assessing the relationship between birth month and RSV infection: A 10‐year retrospective study from June 2009 to May 2019

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