Infection of respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) in the Czech Republic - analysis of hospitalizations and deaths in 2017-2022.

Objectives: Given the lack of data on the seriousness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in the Czech Republic, an analysis was made of available data on hospitalizations and the hospitalization risk was estimated by age group.

Methods: Data from the National Registry of Reimbursed Health Services and the National Registry of Hospitalizations were used for the analyses. Hospitalizations and deaths due to RSV infection (diagnoses J12.1, J20.5, J21.0) from 2017-2022 were analyzed by age group.

Results: Over the six-year period, there were 6,138 hospitalizations with the above diagnoses, ranging between years from 307 to 2,162. The estimated overall hospitalization risk per 100,000 population and year for diagnoses J12.1, J20.5, and J21.0 was 9.64, varying between 2.87 (2020) and 20.56 (2021). Age-group analysis showed the highest risk for children under 6 months of age (891.6/100,000 population and year) and the lowest for 20-34-year-olds (0.1/100,000 population and year). Children under 1 year of age accounted for 63.1% of hospitalizations with the above diagnoses. For patients 65 years and older, the annual hospitalization rates varied between 3.3-15.3%. The most frequent cause of RSV-associated hospitalizations was bronchitis, diagnosed in 55.4% of patients. Among those hospitalized with diagnoses J12.1, J20.5, and J21.0, 38 deaths were reported, representing a case fatality rate of 0.62%. The highest case fatality rate (6.5%) was observed in the age group 35-49 years.

Conclusions: RSV-associated hospitalizations have been reported in all age groups in the Czech Republic. The highest RSV-associated hospitalization risk in 2017-2022 was estimated among children under 6 months of age. Passive surveillance using the available registries could currently provide the basis for measures specifically tailored to the youngest age categories. Data on the hospitalization of adults, particularly senior citizens, must be improved and complemented with active surveillance.