Rates of Hospitalizations for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human Metapneumovirus, and Influenza Virus in Older Adults

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2012-07, Vol.206 (1), p.56-62
• Main Authors: Widmer, Kyle, Zhu, Yuwei, Williams, John V., Griffin, Marie R., Edwards, Kathryn M., Talbot, H. Keipp
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitalization - trends; Hospitalization rates; Human metapneumovirus; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Influenza virus; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - virology; Major and Brief Reports; Male; Medical sciences; Metapneumovirus; Metapneumovirus - isolation & purification; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Older adults; Orthomyxoviridae - isolation & purification; Paramyxoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Paramyxoviridae Infections - virology; Prospective Studies; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - virology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human - isolation & purification; Respiratory syncytial viruses; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Tennessee - epidemiology; Vaccination; Virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jis309

Background. We performed a prospective study to determine the disease burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in older adults in comparison with influenza virus. Methods. During 3 consecutive winters, we enrolled Davidson County (Nashville, TN) residents aged ≥50 years admitted to 1 of 4 hospitals with acute respiratory illness (ARI). Nasal/throat swabs were tested for influenza, RSV, and HMPV with reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Hospitalization rates were calculated. Results. Of 1042 eligible patients, 508 consented to testing. Respiratory syncytial virus was detected in 31 participants (6.1%); HMPV was detected in 23 (4.5%) patients; and influenza was detected in 33 (6.5%) patients. Of those subjects aged ≥65 years, 78% received influenza vaccination. Compared with patients with confirmed influenza, patients with RSV were older and more immunocompromised; patients with HMPV were older, had more cardiovascular disease, were more likely to have received the influenza vaccination, and were less likely to report fever than those with influenza. Over 3 years, average annual rates of hospitalization were 15.01, 9.82, and 11.81 per 10 000 county residents due to RSV, HMPV, and influenza, respectively. Conclusions. In adults aged ≥50 years, hospitalization rates for RSV and HMPV were similar to those associated with influenza.