Burden of RSV Infection in Young Children

The authors estimate that, in young children, RSV infection is associated with 1 of 334 hospitalizations, 1 of 38 ED visits, and 1 of 13 primary care outpatient visits annually in the U.S.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is associated with hospitalization in children, but the total burden of disease among young children in the U.S. is poorly understood. The CDC conducted a prospective population-based surveillance study of children younger than 5 years with diagnoses of acute respiratory disease who were hospitalized or presented to emergency departments (EDs) or outpatient clinics in three U.S. cities during the RSV seasons between 2000 and 2004.

Nasal and throat swabs were obtained from 5067 children; 919 (18%) had confirmed RSV infection. Coinfecting viruses were identified in only 6% of samples. RSV was associated with 20% of hospitalizations, 18% of ED visits, and 15% of office visits for acute respiratory infections fr…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Burden of RSV Infection in Young Children

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Reviewing Author