Key result
Exposure in HRSV-B households is linked to ~96% higher secondary infection odds versus HRSV-A households.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to estimate the secondary HRSV infection proportion, age-specific susceptibility, inferred spread, and HRSV-A/B transmission patterns in Chinese households.
Cohort (n=721)
Yes
Odds Ratio: 1.96 (95% CI 1.05–3.65)
Children aged 0-5 years are the primary introducers of HRSV into households and are highly susceptible to infection, highlighting the need for age-targeted prevention strategies.
Provides household HRSV transmission estimates from Chinese children; leaves open whether targeted interventions reduce secondary infections.
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the secondary HRSV infection proportion, age-specific susceptibility, inferred spread, and HRSV-A/B transmission patterns in Chinese households. METHODS: This prospective case-ascertained household cohort in Zhejiang, China (November 2024-December 2025) recruited medically attended, laboratory-confirmed paediatric HRSV index cases aged 0-14 years. Ten-day exposure histories, Day 3/10 contact sampling, and regression models assessed household- and contact-level risk factors. RESULTS: Among 179 households with 542 contacts, secondary infection was detected in 110 households (61.5%) and 218 contacts (40.2%); 46.3% were symptomatic. Children aged 0-5 years accounted for 86.6% (155/179) of inferred primary cases. Contact infection was highest among children aged 0-5 years (86.4% [38/44]), including all infants aged <1 year (17/17). HRSV-B-only households had higher contact-level infection odds than HRSV-A-only households (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.05-3.65). Concordance of sequences from the second hypervariable region (HVR2) of the G gene supported household clustering (97.7% [84/86]). CONCLUSIONS: Children aged 0-5 years were the main inferred household introducers and were highly susceptible, with infants aged <1 year being the most susceptible. Household transmission frequently involved spread from children aged 0-5 years to adults, supporting age-targeted household prevention.
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Duan et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infection (n=721). HRSV-B-only household exposure vs. HRSV-A-only household exposure was evaluated on Contact-level secondary infection (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.05-3.65). Exposure in HRSV-B-only households was associated with higher contact-level infection odds compared to HRSV-A-only households (aOR 1.96; 95% CI 1.05-3.65).
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