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Patterns in respiratory synctial virus epidemiology remain stable
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The 2008-2009 respiratory synctial virus season started approximately a week earlier than previous years, beginning Nov. 1, 2008, and ending March 31, according to recently published data.
Between July 2008 and June 2009, there were 404,798 respiratory synctial virus tests performed, of which 60,793 were positive. These data, collected by the Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System were gathered in 45 states from 238 of 718 reporting laboratories that met inclusion criteria, according to Gissela R. Villarruel, MPH, epidemiologist in the epidemiology branch in the division of viral diseases at CDC. While the season started a bit earlier than usual, she said that, overall, the pattern and timing of infections were similar to most years.
The Philadelphia region had the shortest season, at 14 weeks, and the Atlanta region had the longest season, at 23 weeks.
In an interview, Villarruel said that knowing “when the respiratory synctial virus season begins and ends can be used by clinicians and public health officials to determine when to consider the virus as a cause of acute respiratory illnesses,” she said. “The data can also be used to determine when to provide immunoprophylaxis to children at high risk for serious disease.”
An estimated 75,000-125,000 infants are hospitalized with respiratory synctial virus each year. It is estimated that there are 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths attributed to respiratory synctial virus infections among adults older than 65 years annually.
National data are comprised of findings from 10 states; due to a significant difference in season onset and offset, data from Florida are not included in the national figures.
Preliminary findings indicated that the national 2009-2010 season onset was Nov. 14, 2009.
Villarruel GR et al. MMWR. 2010;59:230-233