Infant Infection With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Genotypes and Subsequent Childhood Asthma Risk.

Rosas-Salazar, Christian; Gebretsadik, Tebeb; Chappell, James D; Peebles, R Stokes; Dupont, William D; Shilts, Meghan H; Jadhao, Samadhan J; Anderson, Larry J et al. · J Infect Dis · 2026

prospective_cohort · Level II

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Abstract

Our objective was to test the hypothesis that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection during infancy with genotypes containing previously reported G gene sequence duplications (Gdups) is associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma. In a population-based, prospective, birth cohort of healthy, term children, we found that children with RSV-A Gdup+ (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.00, 95%CI = 1.15-3.47) and RSV-B Gdup  + (aOR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.01-3.11) infections during infancy had higher odds of 5-year current asthma than those without RSV infection during infancy. These findings are proof-of-concept evidence that RSV genetic variation is associated with variable childhood asthma risk.