ReviewInfectious diseases and therapy2023
Incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Older Adults: Limitations of Current Data.
Review in Infectious diseases and therapy, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.
- Point-of-Care Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Detection in Children and Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Pooled it
- Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection Among Adults in Nursing and Care Homes: A Systematic Review.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2024Pooled it
- Epidemiology and burden of respiratory syncytial virus in Italian adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Safety and Immunogenicity of an mRNA-Based RSV Vaccine Including a 12-Month Booster in a Phase 1 Clinical Trial in Healthy Older Adults.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2024Trial
- Cost-Effectiveness of Bivalent Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Vaccine for Older Adults in the Netherlands.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Article
- Viral Pathogen-Specific Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in Hospitalised Adults in Europe: Epidemiological Findings from the id.DRIVE Study 2024-2025.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Article
- Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Among Elderly: A Retrospective Study From an Italian Southern Region During Years 2018-2023.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2026Article
- Article
- Bivalent RSVpreF effectiveness against RSV-associated hospital or emergency department care over two seasons: a retrospective test-negative case control study.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2026Article
- Clinical Outcomes Among Older Adults Hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza Infection: A Retrospective Analysis.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Article
- New Tools Against Old Enemies: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in Older Adults. A Narrative Review.Farmaceuticos comunitarios · 2026Article
- Outpatient RSV Testing Rates Among US Adults with Lower Respiratory Tract Disease, 2017-2024.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Article
- Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness for Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Related Acute Respiratory Illness in Older Adults: Findings From the First Postlicensure Season.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Article
- Risk of Cardiorespiratory Events Following Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Related Hospitalization.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Estimated Incidence of All-Cause Respiratory Hospitalizations and Deaths Attributable to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections in Adults in Finland between 2011 and 2019: A Retrospective Database Study.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2026Article
- Beyond the respiratory tract: a case of acute viral myositis following respiratory syncytial virus infection.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2026Article
- Article
- Cost-Effectiveness of Bivalent Prefusion F Vaccine for Prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Among Older Adults in Italy.ClinicoEconomics and outcomes research : CEOR · 2026Article
- Intensive Care Unit Stay and Mechanical Ventilation Among Adults with Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Related Hospitalization by Age and Comorbidity Status.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2026Article
- Estimation of General Practitioner Visits, Hospitalizations and Deaths Attributable to Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza Virus, and Costs Associated With Hospitalizations, in Older Adults in France From 2010 to 2020.Open forum infectious diseases · 2025Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of severe respiratory illness in older adults and adults with respiratory or cardiovascular comorbidities. Published estimates of its incidence and prevalence in adult groups vary widely. This article reviews the potential limitations affecting RSV epidemiology studies and suggests points to consider when evaluating or designing them.
methodsStudies reporting the incidence or prevalence of RSV infection in adults in high-income Western countries from 2000 onwards were identified via a rapid literature review. Author-reported limitations were recorded, together with presence of other potential limitations. Data were synthesized narratively, with a focus on factors affecting incidence estimates for symptomatic infection in older adults.
resultsA total of 71 studies met the inclusion criteria, most in populations with medically attended acute respiratory illness (ARI). Only a minority used case definitions and sampling periods tailored specifically to RSV; many used influenza-based or other criteria that are likely to result in RSV cases being missed. The great majority relied solely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of upper respiratory tract samples, which is likely to miss RSV cases compared with dual site sampling and/or addition of serology. Other common limitations were studying a single season, which has potential for bias due to seasonal variability; failure to stratify results by age, which underestimates the burden of severe disease in older adults; limited generalizability beyond a limited study setting; and absence of measures of uncertainty in the reporting of results.
conclusionsA significant proportion of studies are likely to underestimate the incidence of RSV infection in older adults, although the effect size is unclear and there is also potential for overestimation. Well-designed studies, together with increased testing for RSV in patients with ARI in clinical practice, are required to accurately capture both the burden of RSV and the potential public health impact of vaccines.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.