Respiratorisches-Syncytial-Virus Ursache einer signifikant gesteigerten Morbidität akuter Atemwegsinfekte in Arztpraxen?

Since 1992 the working group on influenza in Germany (AGI) records the appearance of acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) in selected primary care offices during wintertime. In some offices swabs are taken and screened for the presence of influenza viruses in the national influenza centre and other laboratories. In the winter of 1998/99 the nation-wide sentinel of 550 offices indicated an increase in ARI morbidity that could not be explained by influenza activity. The symptoms reported by the general practitioners (GPs) and the age group of affected patients as well as the markedly increased hospitalisation of infants (age 0–4 years) indicated Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as the causative agent. Furthermore influenza activity was moderate over that period of time. The data of other laboratory reporting systems and data from several hospitals confirmed the observed increase in RSV activity with some delay. The data discussed in the paper give evidence that RSV was probably the agent responsible for the increased ARI-morbidity, however they were not sufficient to clearly confirm this. Thus a much more systematic and improved RSV surveillance is desirable. Improvement in RSV surveillance will also allow a better evaluation of the influenza activity itself, particularly of its impact on children.