[Respiratory syncytial viruses: viral characteristics and epizootiology of the disease].

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the major respiratory tract pathogen of infants and young children. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is recognized as an important cause of respiratory tract disease in calves. Both these viruses and their respective diseases share many similarities. After a description of the general properties of the virus, this review covers the epizootology of bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection.