Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) and hospitalisations among young children and is globally responsible for many deaths in young children, especially in infants below 6 months of age. Furthermore, RSV is a common cause of severe respiratory disease and hospitalisation among the elderly. The development of new candidate vaccines and monoclonal antibodies highlights the need for reliable surveillance of RSV. In the European Union (EU), no up-to-date general recommendations on RSV surveillance are currently available. Based on outcomes of a workshop with 29 European experts in the field of RSV virology, epidemiology and public health, we provide recommendations to develop a feasible and sustainable national surveillance strategy for RSV that will enable harmonisation and data comparison at the European level. We discuss three surveillance components: active sentinel community surveillance, active sentinel hospital surveillance, and passive laboratory surveillance, using the EU acute respiratory infection (ARI) and WHO extended severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) case definitions. Furthermore, we recommend the use of quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) based assays as the standard detection method for RSV and virus genetic characterisation, if possible, to monitor genetic evolution. These guidelines provide a basis for a good quality, feasible and affordable surveillance of RSV. Harmonisation of surveillance standards at European and global level will contribute to the wider availability of national level RSV surveillance data for regional and global analysis, and estimation of the RSV burden and impact of the future immunisation programmes.
Footnotes
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Conflict of interest: Dr. Lindner has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Teirlinck reports grants from Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement 116019 for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe (RESCEU) project, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Broberg has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Berg has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Campbell reports grants from EU IMI, grants and personal fees from WHO, grants and personal fees from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, grants and personal fees from Sanofi, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Reeves reports grants from INNOVATIVE MEDICINES INITIATIVE, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of Interest: Ms. Carnahan has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Lina has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Pakarna has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Bøås has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Nohynek reports grants from GSK, grants from SanofiPasteur, grants from Pfizer, outside the submitted work; and membership of the ESWI Scientific Committee.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Emborg reports grants from Innovative Medicines Initiative, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Nair reports grants from INNOVATIVE MEDICINES INITIATIVE, during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, grants and personal fees from WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, grants and personal fees from SANOFI , personal fees from JANSSEN, personal fees from ABBVIE, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Oliva has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. O Gorman has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Paget reports grants from Sanofi Pasteur, grants from World Health Organization, grants from Foundation for Influenza Epidemiology, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Szymański has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Danis has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Socan has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. GIJON has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Rapp has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Trebbien reports grants from Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement 116019 funding the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Guiomar has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. HIrve has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Buda has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. van der WERF reports non-financial support from Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe (RESCEU), during the conduct of the study; and Board member of ISIRV.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Fischer has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Meijer reports grants from Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement 116019 for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe (RESCEU) project, during the conduct of the study.
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- Received October 7, 2020.
- Accepted February 8, 2021.
- Copyright ©The authors 2021. For reproduction rights and permissions contact permissions{at}ersnet.org
