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Viruses
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RSV Epidemiological Surveillance: 3rd Edition
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RSV Epidemiological Surveillance: 3rd Edition

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1999

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Emanuele Castagno

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Guest Editor
Department of Pediatric Emergency, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital–A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
Interests: pediatric emergency; pediatric procedural sedation and pain management; pediatric bioethics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Irene Raffaldi

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Guest Editor
Department of Pediatric Emergency, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital–A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
Interests: pediatric emergency; infectious diseases; clinical toxicology; bedside ultrasound
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last years, the spread of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has changed substantially due to a variety of factors. Firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures induced a marked decline in RSV infections; subsequently, however, an unusual resurgence with different epidemiological features was reported worldwide, affecting both young infants and older children.

On the other hand, new and promising pharmacological options are expected to contribute to modifications in RSV epidemiology in the coming years, particularly by preventing RSV bronchiolitis in newborns and young infants. Lastly, climate change has a significant impact on respiratory virus circulation worldwide, including RSV. Considering this, epidemiological surveillance is vital to create future strategies for prevention and treatment.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive picture of RSV epidemiology worldwide, thereby contributing to improved prevention and treatment of such infections in childhood. We invite researchers to contribute original articles, reviews, perspective articles, opinion papers, short communications, and case series addressing all aspects of RSV epidemiology, including (but not limited to) new epidemiological trends, prevention and treatment strategies, clinical features of RSV infection at different ages, and the impact of climate change.   

Dr. Emanuele Castagno
Dr. Irene Raffaldi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  • epidemiological surveillance
  • bronchiolitis
  • children
  • newborns
  • infants

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1346 KB  
Article
Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in Hospitalized Patients at a University Hospital Center in Rabat, Morocco: An Epidemiological Overview
by Ghizlane El-Amin, Naima El Hafidi, Soumia Benchekroun, Mahraoui Chafiq, Amal Zouaki, Nora Touyar, Najat Bouihat, Salma Ech-Cherif El Kettani, Saad Harrak, Larbi Ed-Dafali, Aziza Bentalha, Mustapha Alilou, Hamza El Hamzaoui, Amina Barkat, Ilham Elouardighi, Tarek Dendane, Khalid Abidi, Jihane Bel Ayachi, Naoufal Madani, Redouane Abouqal, Hicham Harmouche, Mouna Maamar, Rachid El Jaoudi, Mourad Feindiri, Myriam Seffar, Mohamed Bouskraoui and Hakima Kabbajadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Viruses 2026, 18(5), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18050530 - 30 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) imposes a substantial burden of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), especially in young children and the elderly. Methods: We describe RSV epidemiology among hospitalized SARI patients at the Ibn Sina University Hospital Center (Rabat, Morocco) from 1 January 2021, [...] Read more.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) imposes a substantial burden of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), especially in young children and the elderly. Methods: We describe RSV epidemiology among hospitalized SARI patients at the Ibn Sina University Hospital Center (Rabat, Morocco) from 1 January 2021, to 31 December 2025, using multiplex PCR (BioFire® RP2.1plus or Xpert® SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV). Results: Among 4604SARI samples, RSV prevalence was 16.1% (739/4604), predominantly pediatric (88.6%, p < 0.001), with peak burden in infants <6 months (70.4% of cases, p < 0.001). Pediatric prevalence was 28.3% (655/2316) vs. 3.8% (84/2204) in adults (p < 0.001), with predominance in the elderly ≥60 years (51/1041, 4.9%). Co-infections occurred in 46.7% (310/665) of FilmArray-tested positives (total = 665), led by rhinovirus/enterovirus (198/310, 63.9%), and were significantly higher in children (48.5%, p < 0.001). RSV peaked in winter (51.6%), except for summer dominance in 2021 (52.5%), reflecting COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical intervention effects. Conclusions: These data establish Morocco’s first comprehensive RSV surveillance baseline, highlighting post-pandemic epidemiological shifts. As maternal vaccines and monoclonal antibodies emerge, these data inform optimal implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RSV Epidemiological Surveillance: 3rd Edition)
22 pages, 674 KB  
Article
Epidemiological Impact of Nirsevimab on Admissions for Bronchiolitis in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Single-Center Cohort Study
by Emanuele Castagno, Carola Aschieri, Irene Ferri, Sara El Khbazi, Lorenzo Milani, Rosanna Irene Comoretto, Irene Raffaldi, Irene Tardivo, Marco Spada, Claudia Bondone and Franca Fagioli
Viruses 2026, 18(4), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040469 - 16 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis in children < 24 months and a major public health concern, causing high rates of Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admissions. Nirsevimab is a recombinant monoclonal antibody [...] Read more.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis in children < 24 months and a major public health concern, causing high rates of Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admissions. Nirsevimab is a recombinant monoclonal antibody recommended for all infants and high-risk children < 24 months. A retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted to evaluate the impact of nirsevimab introduction on bronchiolitis epidemiology in an Italian tertiary pediatric ED, accounting for 40,000 admissions/year. All children < 24 months who presented to our ED with bronchiolitis during two consecutive RSV seasons (first season: 1 October 2023 to 30 April 2024; second season: 1 October 2024 to 30 April 2025) were included. Descriptive and multivariate analyses are reported. Overall, 484 patients were analyzed (336 in 2023–2024; 148 in 2024–2025), with immunization coverage reaching 87.5% by April 2025. Compared with the previous season, RSV positivity decreased significantly (32.4% vs. 47.9%; p = 0.003) and was lower in immunized children (16.2% vs. 51.5%; p < 0.001). Immunization was associated with a reduced risk of RSV-positive swab in the second season (OR = 0.159, 95% CI: 0.059–0.397). Among RSV-negative patients, other respiratory viruses increased (p < 0.001), while co-infections increased in RSV-positive cases (p = 0.021). Hospitalization rates remained stable, though absolute admissions were halved. In conclusion, nirsevimab immunization reduced RSV burden, supporting its inclusion in universal prevention programs and the need for multicenter prospective studies to assess long-term outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RSV Epidemiological Surveillance: 3rd Edition)
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13 pages, 658 KB  
Article
Monitoring of RSV-A and RSV-B Circulation in Poland Across Three Post-Pandemic Seasons (2022–2025)
by Katarzyna Łuniewska, Piotr Rzymski, Barbara Poniedziałek, Karol Szymański, Katarzyna Kondratiuk, Emilia Czajkowska, Bartosz Mańkowski and Lidia B. Brydak
Viruses 2026, 18(3), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18030321 - 4 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of respiratory infections across all ages. However, data on the circulation of its antigenic subgroups, RSV-A and RSV-B, remain limited in certain regions, including Poland. Therefore, this study provides the first molecular insight into the [...] Read more.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of respiratory infections across all ages. However, data on the circulation of its antigenic subgroups, RSV-A and RSV-B, remain limited in certain regions, including Poland. Therefore, this study provides the first molecular insight into the post-pandemic circulation of RSV subgroups in Poland. We analyzed 377 RSV-positive respiratory samples collected across Poland during three consecutive seasons (2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25) using qRT-PCR to determine subgroup distribution. An equal prevalence of RSV-A and RSV-B was observed in 2022/23, followed by RSV-A predominance in 2023/24 and a shift to RSV-B dominance in 2024/25. Individuals infected with RSV-A were significantly younger than those infected with RSV-B, a pattern evident in the latter two seasons but not in 2022/23. In general, adults (≥18 years) had higher odds of RSV-B infection (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.44–3.84; p = 0.006). Coinfections with both subgroups increased from 5% in 2022/23 to approximately 15% in later seasons, and were more frequent in women. Coinfections with influenza viruses or SARS-CoV-2 were infrequent and showed no statistically significant differences between seasons. The findings of the present study highlight dynamic, region-specific RSV epidemiology and underscore the importance of sustained molecular surveillance to inform public health preparedness and guide emerging RSV immunization strategies in Poland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RSV Epidemiological Surveillance: 3rd Edition)
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