RSV Subtype A More Severe Than Subtype B In Young Children And Infants, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (4/17, Kuhns) reports, “The severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in young children and infants is higher among those infected with subtype A compared with those infected with subtype B, but both subtypes are associated with medically attended illness and hospitalization. These findings were published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.” According to the study, “overall, infection with RSV-A was significantly associated with increased risk for hospitalization in children younger than 5 years and in those younger than 1 year. Children with RSV-A were also more likely to require supplemental oxygen.”