Respiratory syncytial virus - from discovery to vaccines - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #infant mortality
- #vaccines
- #RSV
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of infant hospitalization and mortality, causing over 200,000 deaths annually.
- RSV is the primary agent of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants, with most hospitalizations occurring in previously healthy, term-born infants.
- More than 97% of childhood RSV deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- RSV infections can lead to long-term complications like recurrent wheeze or asthma and also affect older adults and immunocompromised individuals.
- Recent advancements include the approval of bivalent RSV vaccines for high-risk adults and pregnant women, and a monoclonal antibody for infants.