Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children: An Updated Review

Abstract Worldwide, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viral causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in children. Although the LRTI is usually mild, it can be severe in extremes of age having some underlying high-risk medical conditions. The most common LRTI phenotypes in young children are bronchiolitis and pneumonia. There is no specific treatment as of now for RSV LRTIs, and supportive treatment is all that necessary. Aerosolized ribavirin can be tried in some special situations, but not easily available and the cost is high. Two monoclonal antibodies (nirsevimab and palivizumab) are available for prophylaxis in high-risk as well as health infants, but the high cost limits their use in resource-poor settings. There have been recent advances in the development of RSV vaccines. Arexvy ® (GSK) and Abrysvo ® (Pfizer) are the two candidate recombinant protein vaccines first ever available for use in older adults. In addition, Abrysvo when administered during pregnancy can protect infants from birth to 6 months of age. In the present update, all the aspects of RSV have been discussed in detail.