Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus RSV Micro-neutralization Assay
09:14

An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus RSV Micro-neutralization Assay

Published on: January 26, 2019

11.2K

Population-based serology reveals risk factors for RSV infection in children younger than 5 years

Stijn P Andeweg1, Rutger M Schepp2, Jan van de Kassteele2

  • 1Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. stijn.andeweg@rivm.nl.

Scientific Reports
|April 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Most infants contract respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) before age two. Birth season significantly impacts RSV infection timing, with summer births showing higher infection probabilities, influencing vaccination strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Immunology
  • Public health epidemiology

Background:

  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a primary cause of infant hospitalizations.
  • Risk factors for RSV infection in the general population remain under-investigated, with prior research focusing on severe clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate underlying risk factors for RSV infection in young children.
  • To determine the influence of age and birth date on RSV infection probability.
  • To inform vaccination and monoclonal antibody prophylaxis strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized RSV-specific IgG and IgA antibody measurements from two Dutch population-based serosurveys (n=682).
  • Classified children up to 5 years old as seronegative or seropositive for RSV.
  • Employed a generalized additive model to estimate RSV infection probability based on age, birth date, and other factors.

Main Results:

  • The majority of children experience RSV infection by age two.
  • Age and birth date were identified as significant predictors of RSV infection.
  • Children born in summer exhibited a higher estimated probability of RSV infection compared to those born in winter (e.g., 0.56 vs. 0.32 at age 1).

Conclusions:

  • Mean age at RSV infection is influenced by date of birth.
  • Findings have implications for optimizing infant vaccination programs.
  • Results can guide prioritization for prophylactic monoclonal antibody use in infants.

More Related Videos

Generation, Amplification, and Titration of Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Viruses11:48

Generation, Amplification, and Titration of Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Viruses

Published on: April 4, 2019

16.6K
An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection09:01

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Published on: December 10, 2013

8.1K

Related Concept Videos

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
5.7K
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
13.0K
Relative Risk01:12

Relative Risk

Relative risk (RR) is a statistical measure commonly used in epidemiology to compare the likelihood of a particular event occurring between two groups. This metric is important for evaluating the relationship between exposure to a specific risk factor and the probability of a particular outcome. It plays a crucial role in medical research, public health studies, and risk assessment. Relative risk quantifies how much more (or less) likely an event is to occur in an exposed group compared to an...
885
Principles of Disease Surveillance01:26

Principles of Disease Surveillance

Disease surveillance is the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data essential to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. This process integrates data dissemination to entities responsible for preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Surveillance systems provide crucial information for action, helping public health authorities make informed decisions to manage and prevent outbreaks, ensure public safety, optimize...
287