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Clinical Microbiology Reviews, January 2010, p. 74-98, Vol. 23, No. 1
0893-8512/10/$12.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00032-09
Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Respiratory Viral Infections in Infants: Causes, Clinical Symptoms, Virology, and Immunology

John S. Tregoning1* and Jürgen Schwarze2

Centre for Infection, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St. George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom,1 Child Life and Health and Centre for Inflammation Research, the University of Edinburgh, the Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom2

Summary: In global terms, respiratory viral infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Infancy, in particular, is a time of increased disease susceptibility and severity. Early-life viral infection causes acute illness and can be associated with the development of wheezing and asthma in later life. The most commonly detected viruses are respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus (RV), and influenza virus. In this review we explore the complete picture from epidemiology and virology to clinical impact and immunology. Three striking aspects emerge. The first is the degree of similarity: although the infecting viruses are all different, the clinical outcome, viral evasion strategies, immune response, and long-term sequelae share many common features. The second is the interplay between the infant immune system and viral infection: the immaturity of the infant immune system alters the outcome of viral infection, but at the same time, viral infection shapes the development of the infant immune system and its future responses. Finally, both the virus and the immune response contribute to damage to the lungs and subsequent disease, and therefore, any prevention or treatment needs to address both of these factors.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St. George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 20 8725 5349. Fax: 44 20 8725 3487. E-mail: jtregoning{at}sgul.ac.uk

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, January 2010, p. 74-98, Vol. 23, No. 1
0893-8512/10/$12.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00032-09
Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Harker, J. A., Lee, D. C. P., Yamaguchi, Y., Wang, B., Bukreyev, A., Collins, P. L., Tregoning, J. S., Openshaw, P. J. M. (2010). Delivery of Cytokines by Recombinant Virus in Early Life Alters the Immune Response to Adult Lung Infection. J. Virol. 84: 5294-5302 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Harker, J. A., Godlee, A., Wahlsten, J. L., Lee, D. C. P., Thorne, L. G., Sawant, D., Tregoning, J. S., Caspi, R. R., Bukreyev, A., Collins, P. L., Openshaw, P. J. M. (2010). Interleukin 18 Coexpression during Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Results in Enhanced Disease Mediated by Natural Killer Cells. J. Virol. 84: 4073-4082 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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