Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease in Alaska Native Children

Hospitalization rates for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection range from 1 to 20/ 1000 infants. To determine the rate and severity of RSV infections requiring hospitalization for infants in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta of Alaska, a 3-year prospective surveillance study was conducted. The annual rate of RSV hospitalization for YK Delta infants !1 year of age was 53‐249/1000. RSV infection was the most frequent cause of infant hospitalization. RSV disease severity did not differ among non‐high-risk infants in the YK Delta and at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH). On average, 1/125 infants born in the YK Delta required mechanical ventilation for RSV infection. During the peak season, »$1034/child !3 years of age was spent on RSV hospitalization in the YK Delta. In YK Delta infants <6 months old, RSV microneutralizing antibody titers !1200 were associated with severe disease (odds , ratio 5 6.2 ). In the YK Delta and at JHH, newborns may be at greater risk for severe RSV illness P 5 .03 than previously thought.