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. 2025 Jun 11;14(1):36.
doi: 10.1186/s13584-025-00693-5.

Laboratory-confirmed respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalizations: a national all ages cross-section evaluation, 2020-2024

Aharona Glatman-Freedman  1   2 , Lea Gur-Arie  3 , Rita Dichtiar  3 , Lital Keinan-Boker  3   4 , Michal Bromberg  3   5 ; with the Israeli Respiratory Viruses Hospital Laboratory Network (IRVHLN)
Affiliations

Laboratory-confirmed respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalizations: a national all ages cross-section evaluation, 2020-2024

Aharona Glatman-Freedman et al. Isr J Health Policy Res. .

Abstract

Background: New vaccines and monoclonal antibody (mAb) against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were recently approved for adults and infants, respectively. However, their inclusion in national vaccination programs has been slow. Accurate assessment of RSV disease burden among all ages is essential for the global introduction of these agents.

Methods: We evaluated all-ages burden of RSV hospitalizations, from 2020 to 2024, based on data collected by a new national laboratory-based hospital surveillance system. RSV-positive respiratory samples from patients hospitalized in general hospitals nationwide were reported. Data were analyzed by RSV circulation periods and age-group to determine hospitalization rates and 30-day mortality (30-DM) rates. We compared the laboratory-confirmed hospitalization rates with rates previously calculated based on ICD-9 codes.

Results: RSV-confirmed hospitalizations were reported for all age-groups. The highest RSV hospitalization rates were found among patients < 1 year old. Patients ≥ 60 years old had the highest RSV hospitalization rates among ≥ 5 years old patients, and their 30-DM rates reached 14.7%, exceeding those of influenza. During the COVID-19 pandemic, lower rates of RSV-confirmed hospitalizations were reported among ≥ 60 years old patients, probably due to higher adherence to social distancing measures. We found higher numbers and rates of laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations among all age-groups ≥ 1 year old, than those previously reported by our group, based on ICD-9 codes.

Conclusions: Laboratory-confirmation of RSV is paramount for optimal assessment of RSV hospitalization burden, particularly beyond infancy, and for the global adoption of newly developed vaccines and mAb.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This evaluation was reviewed by the National Helsinki Committee for Human Medical Research of the Israel Ministry of Health; it was determined to be part of the Ministry of Health’s professional activity, which is presented in an anonymized and aggregated form, and as such, does not require an ethical committee’s approval or informed consent. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Weekly RSV-confirmed hospitalizations in general hospitals 2020–2024, highlighting RSV circulation periods (marked by grey areas)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rates of RSV-positive hospitalizations per 100,000 population, by age-group, and by RSV circulation period. A Infants and children < 5 years of age. B ≥ 5 years of age. C ≥ 60 years of age
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
RSV-confirmed hospitalizations among infants in their first year of life, by month of life and RSV circulation period (RCP). A Numbers, B Percentages
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
30-day mortality (30-DM) rates for RSV-confirmed (green bars) and Influenza-confirmed (orange bars) hospitalizations among individuals ≥ 60 years of age. A RCP3. B RCP4
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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