Surveillance recommendations based on an exploratory analysis of respiratory syncytial virus reports derived from the European Influenza Surveillance System

Tamara J Meerhoff,Anne Mosnier,W John Paget,Arianne B Van Gageldonk-Lafeber,Douglas Fleming,Ann Smith

doi:10.1186/1471-2334-6-128

Abstract

BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pathogen that can cause severe illness in infants and young children. In this study, we assessed whether data on RSV collected by the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS) could be used to build an RSV surveillance system in Europe.MethodsInfluenza and RSV data for the 2002–2003 winter season were analysed for England, France, the Netherlands and Scotland. Data from sentinel physician networks and other sources, mainly hospitals, were collected. Respiratory specimens were tested for influenza and RSV mainly by virus culture and polymerase chain reaction amplification.ResultsData on RSV were entered timely into the EISS database. RSV contributed noticeably to influenza-like illness: in England sentinel RSV detections were common in all age groups, but particularly in young children with 20 (40.8%) of the total number of sentinel swabs testing positive for RSV. Scotland and France also reported the highest percentages of RSV detections in the 0–4 year age group, respectively 10.3% (N = 29) and 12.2% (N = 426). In the Netherlands, RSV was detected in one person aged over 65 years.ConclusionWe recommend that respiratory specimens collected in influenza surveillance are also tested systematically for RSV and emphasize the use of both community derived data and data from hospitals for RSV surveillance. RSV data from the EISS have been entered in a timely manner and we consider that the EISS model can be used to develop an RSV surveillance system equivalent to the influenza surveillance in Europe.

Highlights

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pathogen that can cause severe illness in infants and young children
For England RSV detections from sentinel practices were common in all age groups, but especially in young children aged 0–4 years with 40.8% (N = 49) testing positive for RSV
The highest percentage RSV positive specimens was reported for the 0–4 age group in Scotland (10.3%, N = 29) and France (12.2%, N = 426) as well

Summary

Introduction

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pathogen that can cause severe illness in infants and young children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important viral agent causing severe respiratory disease in infants and young children [1]. RSV infection is common in adults and sometimes causes severe illness especially in the elderly [2,3]. RSV infection presents with similar clinical symptoms to other respiratory viral infections, including influenza [4,5]. RSV and influenza viruses frequently co-circulate around the same time of the year making it difficult to estimate their separate clinical impacts [9]. The contribution of RSV to influenza-like illness needs to be assessed if this is to be used as a clinical endpoint for evaluating influenza vaccine effectiveness [10,11]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion