RSV (A and B) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia in infants and young children and also cause significant disease in elderly adults. Nearly all children are infected by age 2, and RSV annually causes about 33 million pediatric LRTI episodes. It is the single largest cause of infant hospitalization in the U.S., making RSV detection by PCR crucial because it confirms the diagnosis and guiding supportive care and infection control (Schweitzer & Justice 2023, Charlton et al. 2018).
Charlton, C. L., Babady, E., Ginocchio, C. C., Hatchette, T. F., Jerris, R. C., Li, Y., Loeffelholz, M., McCarter, Y. S., Miller, M. B., Novak-Weekley, S., Schuetz, A. N., Tang, Y. W., Widen, R., & Drews, S. J. (2018). Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories: Viruses Causing Acute Respiratory Tract Infections. Clinical microbiology reviews, 32(1), e00042-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00042-18
Jain H, Schweitzer JW, Justice NA. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children. [Updated 2023 Jun 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-.
