A study of the effects of age on the dynamics of RSV in animal models

• Published in: Virus research 2021-10, Vol.304, p.198524-198524, Article 198524
• Main Authors: Khan, Shaheer, Dobrovolny, Hana M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Child, Preschool; Disease Models, Animal; Ferrets; Humans; Immune development; Infant; Mathematical model; Models, Animal; Parameter estimation; Pediatric; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human - genetics; Sigmodontinae
• ISSN: 0168-1702; 1872-7492
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2021.198524

•A viral kinetics model is fit to experimental data of in vivo RSV infections in cotton rats and ferrets of different ages.•We find no clear trend in any of the model parameter values as either animal ages.•The study suggests more detailed studies are needed to identify the effect of immune development on changes in the time course of RSV infections. Respiratory syncytial virus can cause severe illness and even death, particularly in infants. The increased severity of disease in young children is thought to be due to a lack of previous exposure to the virus as well as the limited immune response in infants. While studies have examined the clinical differences in disease between infants and adults, there has been limited examination of how the viral dynamics differ as infants develop. In this study, we apply a mathematical model to data from cotton rats and ferrets of different ages to assess how viral kinetics parameters change as the animals age. We find no clear trend in the viral decay rate, infecting time, and basic reproduction number as the animals age. We discuss possible reasons for the null result including the limited data, lack of detail of the mathematical model, and the limitations of animal models.