The virus responsible for bronchiolitis in infants also takes its toll on the elderly, with consequences that are often serious but much less known, reports Le Parisien. Every winter, bronchiolitis is in the spotlight: its symptoms in toddlers are impressive (cough and wheeze), although the episode is generally harmless. This year, the epidemic was of an unprecedented scale for more than ten years.
This infection of the small bronchi is most often caused by a virus called respiratory syncytial (RSV) which is very widespread and very contagious. What is much less known is that this virus also affects adults. Certainly, a healthy adult who contracts the virus has a good chance of developing a common infection that resembles a cold, or even of being asymptomatic. Therefore, many people carry the virus and are contagious without knowing it.
In an elderly person, the virus can lead to dehydration, breathing difficulties and more serious conditions, such as pneumonia. It can also aggravate chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease. And RSV could be just as serious as the flu virus. If in France there is monitoring of cases of bronchiolitis in children, there is no equivalent for vulnerable adults.
The figures across Europe speak for themselves: 250,000 people aged 65 and over are hospitalized every year with RSV infection, and 17,000 die from it, according to estimates from the European Health Agency. medications. In the United States, estimates range from 60,000 to 120,000 hospitalizations and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths per year in this same age group.
The situation could change with the imminent arrival of future vaccines. The British pharmaceutical group GSK has announced that it has obtained a favorable opinion from the European Medicines Agency for its vaccine intended for seniors against RSV. The final decision of the European Commission is expected for July 2023. The Pfizer and Moderna laboratories are also each developing an RSV vaccine for the elderly, which are currently under review.
