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Pandolfi E, Loconsole D, Chironna M, van Summeren J, Paget J, Raponi M, Russo L, Campagna I, Croci I, Concato C, Perno CF, Tozzi AE, Linardos G, Bartolucci V, Ciampini S, Muda AO, De Angelis L, Ciofi Degli Atti ML, Rizzo C. Pre-COVID-19-pandemic RSV epidemiology and clinical burden in pediatric primary care in Italy: a comparative analysis across two regions for the 2019/2020 season. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:388. [PMID: 38605310 PMCID: PMC11007985 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09229-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children under 5 years have a significant clinical burden, also in primary care settings. This study investigates the epidemiology and burden of RSV in Italian children during the 2019/20 pre-pandemic winter season. METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted in two Italian regions. Children with Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) visiting pediatricians were eligible. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected and analyzed via multiplex PCR for RSV detection. A follow-up questionnaire after 14 days assessed disease burden, encompassing healthcare utilization and illness duration. Statistical analyses, including regression models, explored associations between variables such as RSV subtype and regional variations. RESULTS Of 293 children with ARI, 41% (119) tested positive for RSV. Median illness duration for RSV-positive cases was 7 days; 6% required hospitalization (median stay: 7 days). Medication was prescribed to 95% (110/116) of RSV cases, with 31% (34/116) receiving antibiotics. RSV subtype B and regional factors predicted increased healthcare utilization. Children with shortness of breath experienced a 36% longer illness duration. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights a significant clinical burden and healthcare utilization associated with RSV in pre-pandemic Italian primary care settings. Identified predictors, including RSV subtype and symptomatology, indicate the need for targeted interventions and resource allocation strategies. RSV epidemiology can guide public health strategies for the implementation of preventive measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Pandolfi
- Predictive and Preventive Medicine Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Loconsole
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Chironna
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | | | - John Paget
- Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Luisa Russo
- Division of Metabolism, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Campagna
- Predictive and Preventive Medicine Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Ileana Croci
- Predictive and Preventive Medicine Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Concato
- Virology Unit, Laboratory Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Federico Perno
- Virology Unit, Laboratory Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Eugenio Tozzi
- Predictive and Preventive Medicine Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Linardos
- Virology Unit, Laboratory Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Veronica Bartolucci
- Predictive and Preventive Medicine Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Ciampini
- Local Health Unit, Public Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Onetti Muda
- Department of Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi De Angelis
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | - Caterina Rizzo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Hak SF, Venekamp RP, Wildenbeest JG, Bont LJ. Outpatient respiratory syncytial virus infections and novel preventive interventions. Curr Opin Pediatr 2024; 36:171-181. [PMID: 38085019 PMCID: PMC10919273 DOI: 10.1097/mop.0000000000001323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW With interventions to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection within reach, this review aims to provide healthcare professionals with the latest information necessary to inform parents and assess the potential impact of RSV prevention on everyday practice. We address frequently asked questions for parental counseling. RECENT FINDINGS Numerous studies emphasize the major burden of RSV on young children, parents, healthcare and society. In the first year of life, about 14% of healthy term infants visit a doctor and 2% require hospitalization due to RSV. In older children (1--5 years), RSV infections and associated morbidity (wheeze, acute otitis media) are major drivers of outpatient visits. A novel maternal RSV vaccine and long-acting mAb can provide protection during infants' first months of life. This maternal vaccine showed 70.9% efficacy against severe RSV infection within 150 days after birth; the mAb nirsevimab reduces medically attended RSV infections by 79.5% within 150 days after administration. Both gained regulatory approval in the USA (FDA) and Europe (EMA). SUMMARY Novel RSV immunizations hold promise to reduce the RSV burden in infants, with substantial impact on everyday practice. Tailored parental guidance will be instrumental for successful implementation. Awaiting pediatric vaccines, RSV infections beyond infancy will still pose a significant outpatient burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F. Hak
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht
| | - Roderick P. Venekamp
- Department of General Practice & Nursing Science, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht
| | - Joanne G. Wildenbeest
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht
| | - Louis J. Bont
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus NETwork (ReSViNET) Foundation, Zeist, The Netherlands
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Hak SF, Venekamp RP, Billard MN, van Houten MA, Pollard AJ, Heikkinen T, Cunningham S, Millar M, Martinón-Torres F, Dacosta-Urbieta A, Bont LJ, Wildenbeest JG. Substantial Burden of Nonmedically Attended RSV Infection in Healthy-Term Infants: An International Prospective Birth Cohort Study. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:S40-S50. [PMID: 38424744 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the first year of life, 1 in 4 infants develops a symptomatic respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, yet only half seek medical attention. The current focus on medically attended RSV therefore underrepresents the true societal burden of RSV. We assessed the burden of nonmedically attended RSV infections and compared with medically attended RSV. METHODS We performed active RSV surveillance until the age of 1 year in a cohort (n = 993) nested within the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in EUrope (RESCEU) prospective birth cohort study enrolling healthy term-born infants in 5 European countries. Symptoms, medication use, wheezing, and impact on family life were analyzed. RESULTS For 97 of 120 (80.1%) nonmedically attended RSV episodes, sufficient data were available for analysis. In 50.5% (49/97), symptoms lasted ≥15 days. Parents reported impairment in usual daily activities in 59.8% (58/97) of episodes; worries, 75.3% (73/97); anxiety, 34.0% (33/97); and work absenteeism, 10.8% (10/93). Compared with medically attended RSV (n = 102, 9 hospital admissions), Respiratory Syncytial Virus NETwork (ReSViNET) severity scores were lower (3.5 vs 4.6, P < .001), whereas duration of respiratory symptoms and was comparable. CONCLUSIONS Even when medical attendance is not required, RSV infection poses a substantial burden to infants, families, and society. These findings are important for policy makers when considering the implementation of RSV immunization. Clinical Trials Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03627572).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Hak
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht
| | - Roderick P Venekamp
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University
| | - Marie-Noëlle Billard
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht
| | - Marlies A van Houten
- Department of Pediatrics, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, United Kingdom
| | - Terho Heikkinen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Margaret Millar
- Children's Clinical Research Facility, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ana Dacosta-Urbieta
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Louis J Bont
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht
| | - Joanne G Wildenbeest
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht
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Preventing Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children in France: A Narrative Review of the Importance of a Reinforced Partnership Between Parents, Healthcare Professionals, and Public Health Authorities. Infect Dis Ther 2022; 12:317-332. [PMID: 36520324 PMCID: PMC9753881 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-022-00737-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for up to approximately 50,000 hospitalisations during each RSV season in children aged under 5 years in France, with the burden greatest in infants younger than 1 year who were born at term. There is a need for a strategy to universally protect young children from RSV infection, and thereby reduce the pressure that RSV places every year on RSV-infected children, their parents, and French healthcare systems. Potential strategies currently undergoing clinical investigation include passive immunisation via maternal vaccination or administration of long-acting monoclonal antibodies at or soon after birth, followed by vaccination later in infancy or childhood. An ongoing partnership and collaboration between parents, public health authorities, and frontline primary healthcare will need to be reinforced once these new RSV prevention strategies are available, to facilitate their use and ensure that all children receive adequate protection from the start of their first RSV season.
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Simões EAF, Chirikov V, Botteman M, Kwon Y, Kuznik A. Long-term Assessment of Healthcare Utilization 5 Years After Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in US Infants. J Infect Dis 2021; 221:1256-1270. [PMID: 31165865 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the primary cause of respiratory tract infections in infants; however, current burden estimates report only the short-term effects of acute infection. METHODS Infants with RSV infection and ≥24 months of continuous enrollment were retrospectively identified from the Truven MarketScan database (1 January 2004-30 September 2015). Exposed infants (n = 38 473) were propensity score matched to nonexposed controls (n = 76 825) by baseline characteristics and gestational age. Five-year cumulative all-cause, asthma/wheezing, and respiratory event-related hospitalization rates and physician and emergency department healthcare-resource utilization rates were assessed. RESULTS During follow-up, RSV-infected cohorts had higher average all-cause cumulative hospitalization rates, compared with controls, with values of 79.9 hospitalizations/100 patient-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 41.7-118.2) for 213 early premature infants (P < .001), 18.2 hospitalizations/100 patient-years (95% CI, .8-35.7) for 397 premature infants (P = .04), 34.2 hospitalizations/100 patient-years (95% CI, 29.1-39.2) for 4446 late premature infants (P < .001), and 16.1 hospitalizations/100 patient-years (95% CI, 14.9-17.4) for 33 417 full-term infants (P < .001). Cumulative rates of physician and emergency department visits were also higher for RSV-infected infants. Asthma/wheezing accounted for 10%-18% of total 5-year physician visits. CONCLUSIONS Infant RSV infection has a significant long-term healthcare-resource utilization impact across gestational ages for at least 5 years after infection, most of it in the first 2 years. Systematically collecting healthcare-resource utilization data will be important for cost-effectiveness evaluations of RSV interventions in planned or ongoing trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A F Simões
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Colorado.,Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado.,Section of Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
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Chen L, Chen J, Zhu LM. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis and Bronchial Asthma (Preprint). JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2020. [DOI: 10.2196/22309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Tao XW, Zeng LK, Wang HZ, Liu HC. LncRNA MEG3 ameliorates respiratory syncytial virus infection by suppressing TLR4 signaling. Mol Med Rep 2017; 17:4138-4144. [PMID: 29257348 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.8303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has been dysregulated in various tumors. However, the expression level and functional role of MEG3 in the progression of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection remains to be elucidated. The present study quantified the expression level of MEG3 in the nasopharyngeal (NPA) samples of RSV‑infected patients and in BEAS‑2B cells infected with RSV. The findings of the present study demonstrated that the expression level of lncRNA MEG3 was reduced in the NPA samples of RSV‑infected patients and in BEAS‑2B cells infected with RSV. In vitro transfection revealed increased mRNA expression levels of toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)‑8 following RSV infection in BEAS‑2B cells. Additionally, ectopic expression of MEG3 reduced the expression level of TLR4, subsequently suppressing the mRNA expression levels of TNFα and IL‑8, indicating the protective role of MEG3 in the process of RSV infection. It is of note, that RSV infection‑induced p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) activation was partly abolished by overexpression of MEG3. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the present study provided the first evidence that lncRNA MEG3 expression level was reduced in the NPA samples of patients with RSV infection and RSV‑infected cells. Additionally, it was demonstrated that MEG3 protected human airway epithelial cells from RSV infection, primarily by suppressing TLR4‑dependent p38 MAPK and NF‑κB signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Wei Tao
- Department of Neonatology, Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Ling-Kong Zeng
- Department of Neonatology, Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Hui-Zhen Wang
- Department of Neonatology, Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Han-Chu Liu
- Department of Neonatology, Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
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