Objective: RSV bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants and young children. We aimed to document the economic burden and epidemiology of RSV over seven seasons in Southern Austria.
Patients and methods: All RSV-associated hospitalized (PCR-proven) children ≤ 5 years of age between 1 October 2015 and 30 April 2022 were collected retrospectively. Demographic and epidemiologic data, along with hospitalization costs (direct and indirect), were calculated.
Results: Among 976 children hospitalized due to RSV infection, 87% were healthy term infants, and 79% were < 12 months old. Prematurity (13%) and pre-existing conditions (11%) significantly impacted older children-59% of cases in the 2nd compared with 68% in the 1st year of live. RSV-related hospital costs were approximately €2.0 millions per year (of a total of 60 millions per year). RSV accounted for 19% of hospitalizations due to acute respiratory illness (ARI) in children ≤ 5 years, 37% of all ARI < 6 months, 28% of all ARI < 12 and 6.3% of all-cause hospitalizations < 12 months of age, respectively.
Conclusions: Every 5th hospitalization due to respiratory illness in children ≤ 5 years of age was associated with RSV, representing 7.9% of all hospitalizations and 3.3% of all paediatric hospitalization costs.
Keywords: bronchiolitis; economic burden of disease; epidemiology; hospitalization cost; preterm infant; respiratory syncytial virus.
© 2024 The Author(s). Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.