Wetzke Martin, Lange Matthias, Koerner-Rettberg Cordula, Kiefer Alexander, Kabesch Michael, Armbrust Sven, Abdelkhalek Kerim, Lex Christiane, Hufnagel Markus, Bode Sebastian, Dördelmann Michael, Lorenz Michael, Arens Stefan, Panning Markus, Köster Holger, Kramer Rolf, Bangert Mathieu, Eberhardt Frank, Barten-Neiner Grit, Happle Christine
Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, Neonatology of Hannover Medical School and German Center for Lung Research, Biomedical Research in End-stage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Hannover, Germany.
University Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (Elisabeth Children's Hospital), Oldenburg Clinic, Oldenburg, Germany.
Infection. 2025 Feb 19. doi: 10.1007/s15010-025-02484-1.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the main causes of morbidity in infants and young children worldwide. Current data on RSV-associated disease burden in Germany before the introduction of new immunization strategies is lacking.
The PAPI study is a multicenter, prospective surveillance study of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in children aged ≤ 24 months in Germany.
Data from 1607 children with LRTI hospitalized in twelve German hospitals between September 2021 and May 2023 were analyzed. Among these children, RSV was the most frequently detected pathogen (57.1%), followed by rhino/entero-, metapneumo- and parainfluenza virus. Children with RSV were significantly younger than those with LRTI of other causes (mean of 5.6 ± SD 6.1 vs. mean of 10.1 ± SD 7.3 months, p < 0.001) and more frequently affected in their first six months of life. RSV positive children were significantly more likely to develop hypoxemia (61.9% vs. 44.3%, p < 0.001) and need for intravenous or enteral fluid supplementation (48.1% vs. 43.1%, p = 0.009; 13.2% vs. 5.9%, p < 0.001) than those without RSV.
RSV is the dominant pathogen for LRTI-associated hospitalizations in children ≤ 24 months in Germany and associated with a particularly high need for treatment. The ongoing implemented use of RSV immunization according to current recommendations could lead to significant reduction in early childhood morbidity in Germany.
呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）是全球婴幼儿发病的主要原因之一。德国在引入新的免疫策略之前，缺乏关于RSV相关疾病负担的现有数据。
PAPI研究是一项针对德国24个月及以下儿童下呼吸道感染（LRTI）的多中心前瞻性监测研究。
分析了2021年9月至2023年5月期间在德国12家医院住院的1607例LRTI儿童的数据。在这些儿童中，RSV是最常检测到的病原体（57.1%），其次是鼻/肠病毒、偏肺病毒和副流感病毒。RSV感染儿童明显比其他原因导致LRTI的儿童年龄小（平均5.6±标准差6.1个月，而其他原因导致LRTI的儿童平均为10.1±标准差7.3个月，p<0.001），且在出生后的前六个月更易感染。与未感染RSV的儿童相比，RSV阳性儿童更易出现低氧血症（61.9%对44.3%，p<0.001），更需要静脉或肠内补液（48.1%对43.1%，p=0.009；13.2%对5.9%，p<0.001）。
在德国，RSV是24个月及以下儿童LRTI相关住院的主要病原体，且与特别高的治疗需求相关。按照当前建议持续实施RSV免疫接种可能会显著降低德国幼儿的发病率。
