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Researchers found adults with underlying high-risk conditions (HRCs)—such as asthma, congenital immunodeficiency, chronic kidney disease, and others—had a higher risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection than those without such conditions. A community-based study published in Open Forum Infectious Disease followed 7,501 adults aged 18–64 years over 2 RSV seasons. Overall, RSV acute respiratory infection rates were similar in adults with and without HRCs (17.9 cases per 1,000 person-years vs 14.8 cases per 1,000 person-years). However, RSV lower respiratory tract disease occurred more often in patients with HRCs, representing a 62% higher adjusted risk, according to the study. Among adults aged 18–49 years, those with HRCs had more than double the incidence of RSV lower respiratory tract disease compared with those in that age group without HRCs (9.6 vs 4.3 cases per 1,000 person-years). The authors suggest these findings may support future expansion of RSV vaccine recommendations to high-risk adults younger than age 50, a group that has traditionally not been the primary target for recommended RSV vaccination.
RSV severity: Patients with RSV lower respiratory tract disease are more likely to require additional evaluation, treatment, or transfer to an emergency department than patients with an uncomplicated upper respiratory infection. Lower respiratory tract disease can cause bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Diagnostic testing and vaccine guidance for clinicians is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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