Viral-induced asthma exacerbations

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again brought to the attention of researchers and medical practitioners the issue of viral infections in the management of chronic respiratory diseases, especially bronchial asthma. Viral infections, especially rhinovirus, are an important risk factor for asthma exacerbations. Asthma exacerbations are a major cause of asthma morbidity and mortality, leading to a progressive decline in lung function in some patients. The increased risk of exacerbation is a consequence of either a deficient antiviral response of the asthmatic patient, or the ability of some viruses to increase the Th2 inflammatory response, specific to the asthma phenotype. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinico-epidemiological features of each viral infection may be crucial in developing a targeted therapy for the most common viral pathogens to effectively prevent asthmatic exacerbations.