Low levels of respiratory syncytial virus activity in Europe during the 2020/21 season: what can we expect in the coming summer and autumn/winter?

• Published in: Eurosurveillance
• Main Authors: van Summeren, Jojanneke, Meijer, Adam, Aspelund, Guðrún, Casalegno, Jean Sebastien, Erna, Guðrún, Hoang, Uy, Lina, Bruno, de Lusignan, Simon, Teirlinck, Anne, C., Thors, Valtýr, Paget, John
• Other Authors: Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research Utrecht (NIVEL), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Bilthoven (RIVM), Directorate of Health Reykjavík, Institut des Agents Infectieux Lyon (IAI), Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), Landspitali National University Hospital of Iceland, University of Oxford, Children’s Hospital Reykjavik, Iceland, University of Iceland Reykjavik, This study is performed as a side project of the RSV ComNet study. The aim of the RSV ComNet project is to measure the disease burden of RSV in children aged ≤5 years in primary care, and is funded by Sanofi Pasteur and AstraZeneca., VRS study group in Lyon: Antoine Ouziel, Jean-claude Tardy, Pascal Gaucherand, Jerome Massardier, Stephanie Polazzi, Antoine Duclos, Mehdi Benchaib, Regine Cartier, Marine Jourdain, Michelle Ottmann, Rolf Kramer, Sylvie Fiorini, Nathalie Rivat, Yahia Mekki, Julie Fort-Jacquier, Maud-Catherine Barral, Vey Noelie, Julie Haesebaert, Come Horvat, Leo Vidoni, Jean-Marc Reynes, Jean-Francois Eleouet, Laurence Josset, Matthieu Receveur, Etienne Javouhey, Dominique Ploin, Martine Valette, Remi Fanget, Sandrine Couray Targe, Anne-Florence Myar-Dury, Muriel Doret-Dion, Mona Massoud, Elsa Masson, Emilie Bard, Gregory Queromes, Phillipe Vanhems, Olivier Claris, Marine Butin, Florence Ader, Sylvie Bin, Alexandre Gaymard, Florence Morfin, Yves Gillet
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic; RSV; Respiratory syncytial virus; epidemiology; surveillance data; MESH: COVID-19; MESH: Child; MESH: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; MESH: Respiratory Syncytial Virus; Human; MESH: SARS-CoV-2; MESH: Seasons; MESH: Europe; MESH: France; MESH: Humans; MESH: Iceland; MESH: Infant; [SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie; [SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases; [SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03681859; https://hal.science/hal-03681859/document; https://hal.science/hal-03681859/file/2021%20Van%20Summeren%20J%20et%20al.%20Low%20RSV%20activity%20Europe%202020-21.%20Euro%20surveiLL.pdf; https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.29.2100639

International audience Since the introduction of non-pharmacological interventions to control COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity in Europe has been limited. Surveillance data for 17 countries showed delayed RSV epidemics in France (≥ 12 w) and Iceland (≥ 4 w) during the 2020/21 season. RSV cases (predominantly small children) in France and Iceland were older compared with previous seasons. We hypothesise that future RSV epidemic(s) could start outside the usual autumn/winter season and be larger than expected. Year-round surveillance of RSV is of critical importance.