Natural infection of infants with respiratory syncytial virus subgroups A and B: a study of frequency, disease severity, and viral load.
Heterogeneity in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease severity likely is due to a combination of host and viral factors. Infection with RSV subgroup A is thought to produce more severe disease than RSV-B. Higher RSV loads correlate with greater disease severity in hospitalized infants. Whether subgroup-specific variations in disease severity result from differences in RSV load has not been studied. A total of 102 RSV-hospitalized infants <2 y of age were studied. Nasal washes were collected in a standardized manner and were cultured in <3 h in parallel with an RSV quantitative standard in a HEp-2 plaque assay. RSV-A (72%) was more frequent than RSV-B. Disease severity risk factors were similar between subgroups. RSV loads were similar between A and B subgroups (4.77 versus 4.68 log PFU/mL). Measures of disease severity were also similar between subgroups.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee, LeBonheur Children's Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA. Jdevincenzo@utmem.edu
John P
JP
Devincenzo
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D000069455:Palivizumab; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019562:Viral Load
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000069455:Palivizumab