RSV, increasing cases among adults

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in adults represents an emerging risk that is often underestimated and requires attention and prevention. RSV is normally associated with newborns, but numbers continue to increase in the adult population, especially among the elderly over 60 with chronic diseases, warns Fabrizio Pregliasco, scientific director of the Italian Respiratory Virus Observatory. The virus spreads mainly in the winter months, causing bronchitis, pneumonia, and, in the most serious cases, respiratory failure. According to data from the document drawn up by the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (SIMIT), in Italy in 2019, there were approximately 290,000 cases of acute respiratory infections from RSV, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 2000 related deaths in hospital settings. Furthermore, for every thousand individuals over 65 years of age, there are approximately 2 annual hospitalizations related to RSV. Three million cases of acute respiratory syndromes have been reported in Europe, resulting in over 33,000 deaths per year. According to health estimates, vaccines offer effective solutions to protect the most at-risk categories, reducing the worsening of the disease by 30-40%.