Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Dec;100(4):463-468.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2018.03.034. Epub 2018 Mar 31.

Respiratory syncytial virus burden among adults during flu season: an underestimated pathology

M Kestler  1 , P Muñoz  2 , M Mateos  3 , D Adrados  3 , E Bouza  2
Affiliations

Respiratory syncytial virus burden among adults during flu season: an underestimated pathology

M Kestler et al. J Hosp Infect. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Information on the role of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in adult patients with influenza-like syndrome is scarce.

Aim: To assess the clinical characteristics of RSV in adult patients with respiratory manifestations during a regular influenza season.

Methods: Prospective study in a tertiary Spanish hospital from December 2015 to February 2016. The study population included only adult patients with either community-acquired or hospital/healthcare-associated influenza-like illness, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control criteria. Samples were analysed using a rapid molecular assay (Xpert® Flu/RSV). RSV-positive patients were compared with a randomly negative control group and with an influenza-positive control group.

Findings: Twelve hundred patients with influenza-like respiratory infection were included. Overall, 114 of the samples (9%) were positive for influenza and 95 (8%) were positive for RSV. When RSV-positive and influenza-positive patients were compared, RSV-positive patients were older (57.7 vs 48.9 years; P = 0.03), and their disease was more frequently healthcare-related (26/95, 27.3% vs 5/114, 1.7%; P < 0.001). They also had significantly more antibiotics prescribed (77/95, 81.0% vs 70/114, 61.4%; P < 0.001) and more frequently needed hospital admission (93/95, 97.8% vs 69/114, 60.5%; P < 0.001). Mortality was also significantly higher in RSV-positive patients (14/95, 14.7% vs 7/114, 6.1%; P = 0.04).

Conclusion: RSV is a major cause of moderate-to-severe respiratory infection during the influenza season; acquisition is frequently nosocomial or healthcare-related; and mortality is significantly higher than with influenza virus infection. The use of a rapid molecular test as a first-step diagnostic technique is necessary to ensure that isolation measures are implemented and that spread is prevented.

Keywords: Adults; Influenza; Respiratory syncytial virus; Viral pneumonia.

PubMed Disclaimer

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources