Viral load drives disease in humans experimentally infected with respiratory syncytial virus.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of childhood lower respiratory infection, yet viable therapies are lacking. Two major challenges have stalled antiviral development: ethical difficulties in performing pediatric proof-of-concept studies and the prevailing concept that the disease is immune-mediated rather than being driven by viral load.

Objectives

The development of a human experimental wild-type RSV infection model to address these challenges.

Methods

Healthy volunteers (n = 35), in five cohorts, received increasing quantities (3.0-5.4 log plaque-forming units/person) of wild-type RSV-A intranasally.

Measurements and main results

Overall, 77% of volunteers consistently shed virus. Infection rate, viral loads, disease severity, a

SUBMITTER: DeVincenzo JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3001267 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature