PLoS ONE (Jan 2024)

No association between disease severity and respiratory syncytial virus subtypes RSV-A and RSV-B in hospitalized young children in Norway.

  • Håkon Bøås,
  • Lise Beier Havdal,
  • Ketil Størdal,
  • Henrik Døllner,
  • Truls Michael Leegaard,
  • Terese Bekkevold,
  • Elmira Flem,
  • Christopher Inchley,
  • Svein Arne Nordbø,
  • Astrid Elisabeth Rojahn,
  • Sara Debes,
  • Bjørn Barstad,
  • Elisebet Haarr,
  • Anne-Marte Bakken Kran,
  • Norwegian Enhanced Pediatric Immunisation Surveillance (NorEPIS) Network

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298104
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 3
p. e0298104

Abstract

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ObjectiveThere is conflicting evidence whether subtypes of Respiratory syncytial virus have different seasonality or are differentially associated with clinical severity. We aimed to explore the associations between disease severity and RSV subtypes RSV-A and RSV-B and to describe the circulation of RSV subtypes pattern by season and age.MethodsActive prospective hospital surveillance for RSV-A and RSV-B in children ResultsBoth RSV-A and B were found to co-circulate throughout all three study seasons, and no clear seasonal pattern was identified. Likewise, we found no association between sex or measures of severity with RSV-A or RSV-B. There was significantly more RSV-A than RSV-B among children with comorbidities.ConclusionsNo association was found between disease severity or sex and RSV subtypes RSV-A and RSV-B in hospitalized young children in Norway.