WHO STRATEGY FOR GLOBAL RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS SURVEILLANCE PROJECT BASED ON THE INFLUENZA PLATFORM

Overview

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has long been recognized as an important respiratory pathogen that often causes severe disease and mortality, particularly in very young children but also in other age and at-risk groups. The global burden of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infections is estimated at 33 million annually, resulting in more than 3 million hospitalizations and 59 600 in-hospital deaths in children aged under 5 years. In infants under 6 months, RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infections account for about 1.4 million hospitalizations and 27 300 in-hospital deaths [1]. Many countries have recognized the importance of this pathogen and have established surveillance of RSV in certain settings.