Respiratory syncytial virus

Abstract

The battle against RSV has been long and littered with setbacks and disappointments. Improvements in the management of infant bronchiolitis and pneumonia have reduced mortality but the virus remains a major cause of serious, distressing and, occasionally fatal, disease in the very young. Painstaking work in many hospitals and laboratories has built up a detailed picture of the virus and its epidemiology but its pathogenesis and prevention remain enigmatic. The stage is now set for dramatic advances against this important disease of man and animals in which the powerful new techniques in immunology and biotechnology must be the principal players. © 1985 Springer-Verlag.