[Viremia in respiratory syncytial virus infection]

Viremia was demonstrated to occur in experimental respiratory syncytial (RS) virus infection in suckling cotton rats and in natural infection in children. RS virus was isolated from the whole blood of the animals in 3 out of 6 experiments at 2, 5, 6, 7 and 15 days after inoculation, the maximum infectious titer being more than 10(4) TCPD50/0.1 ml. RS virus was also isolated from the blood of 7 out of 15 examined children presenting the typical clinical picture of RS virus disease during the epidemic season of RS virus infection. In 6 patients RS virus was isolated from one blood specimen at 1, 6 and 7 days after the onset, in one patient from 3 blood specimens at 6, 9 and 22 days after the onset. The demonstrated long-term persistence of virus in the blood suggests the possibility of existence of chronic RS virus infection.