Purpose of review: Respiratory syncytial virus has increasingly been recognized as a clinically significant cause of respiratory tract infections in adults, especially among the elderly and the immunocompromised.
Recent findings: Advances in molecular diagnostic methods have enabled rapid diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus for clinical and epidemiological studies. Recent reports focus on clinical, immunological, and/or radiographic characterizations of respiratory syncytial virus infection in adults, particularly in hospitalized patients and those with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and therapeutic and prophylactic use of antiviral agents in immunocompromised adults. Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine development remains a high priority, with the testing of genetically engineered live attenuated vaccines leading to further insights into the pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus in adults.
Summary: Further studies are necessary to elucidate the pathogenesis and immune response against respiratory syncytial virus in adults. The significant burden of respiratory syncytial virus-induced disease in adults and the limited number of approved antiviral agents reinforce the need to develop a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.