Association of disease severity and genetic variation during primary Respiratory Syncytial Virus infections

Abstract Background Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) disease in young children ranges from mild cold symptoms to severe symptoms that require hospitalization and sometimes result in death. Studies have shown a statistical association between RSV subtype or phylogenic lineage and RSV disease severity, although these results have been inconsistent. Associations between variation within RSV gene coding regions or residues and RSV disease severity has been largely unexplored. Methods Nasal swabs from children (