[Infection and asthma]

Asthma is a disease that, due to its increasing prevalence and wide-ranging impact, continues to be studied in order to better understand its underlying mechanisms and thus improve both its management and the quality of life of those who suffer from it.In the context of developing a document of recommendations based on expert opinion following the RAND/UCLA methodology through a Delphi survey on infection and asthma, this non-systematic review of the literature delves into the complex interactions between microorganisms and asthma, providing a comprehensive view, in question and answer mode, on six major aspects relating infection and asthma: 1) the possible infectious origin of asthma, with reference to the respiratory microbiota and the influence of certain respiratory viruses, 2) the role that certain immunodeficiencies may play in the development of bronchial hyperresponsiveness and bronchial infections, 3) the bidirectional association between bronchiectasis and asthma and its identification as a distinguishable phenotype, 4) the importance of the hypersecretory phenotype and infectious exacerbations in the control of asthma and in the assessment of the response to biological treatments, 5) the usefulness of infection prevention and treatment strategies to control asthma, and 6) the curious association between tuberculous infection and disease and the development of atopy and asthma.