EPIDEMIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN PERSONS WITH AND WITHOUT ASTHMA AND COPD

The occurrence of respiratory viruses in persons with asthma and COPD must be viewed against the behavior of the viruses in persons without these conditions. There are multiple agents involved, and reinfections with the same virus are frequent. Infections and illnesses generally decrease in frequency with increasing age. Thus, it can be expected th at infections among child ren, with or without asthma, will be more fr equent than among adults in general. Evaluation of studies of viral ac tivity in persons with asthma and COPD should differentiate between in creased susceptibility and production of exacerbations. The latter may simply indicate the potential for greater severity, but not a higher frequency, of infections. Whatever viruses are circulating at a partic ular time can produce exacerbations; the studies are most conclusive f or asthma in children, probably because infections in general are more common in this age group. Data also suggest increased susceptibility, although results are less clear than for exacerbations. Therefore, pe rsons with chronic respiratory diseases should be considered a risk gr oup for current and developmental vaccines and antiviral medications.