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Globally, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for an estimated 33 million acute lower respiratory tract infections, resulting in 26300 in‐hospital deaths annually in children aged 0 to 60 months. Children under the age of 4 years are disproportionately impacted and represent 50% of cases, with infants under the age of 6 months accounting for most of the RSV‐associated hospitalisations in Australia.

The majority of infants hospitalised with severe RSV infection are otherwise healthy; however, certain risk factors have been identified including: younger age, prematurity, and underlying lung or heart conditions. First Nations children, who are at an increased risk of lung diseases (eg, asthma and bronchiectasis) compared with non‐First Nations children, also experience higher rates of RSV hospitalisation, with 789 per 100 000 affected in individuals under 5 years, nearly double the rate in non‐First Nations children (420 per 100 000).

This MJA Narrative Review shares more.

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Authors: Sam T Barnett, Jane Tuckerman, Ian G Barr, Nigel W Crawford and Danielle F Wurzel

Article Type: Narrative Review