Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Biology, Genetic Diversity, and Perspective Control Preparations

Abstract

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an RNA virus of the family Pneumoviridae and is a common causative agent of acute respiratory infections. Infection with this virus is often severe and can result in fatalities and chronic complications, particularly in high-risk groups such as children under the age of 5 and elderly individuals over 65 years old. This review presents the latest data on the taxonomy, virion structure, and genome map of RSV, as well as its role in the etiology of acute respiratory diseases. We have analyzed over 100 publications on RSV genotyping in different parts of the world including Russia published between 2015 and 2023. The genetic composition of RSV isolates in Russia is similar to that in other regions of the world, which are predominantly represented by genotypes ON1 and BA9. The development of effective vaccines is crucial for successful disease control. The review summarizes global advances in the development of interventions against RSV, emphasizing promising treatments currently undergoing clinical trials and the ones that have recently been approved. Similar interventions (vaccines) are yet to be developed in Russia, but the similarities in genetic composition of RSV in Russia and worldwide offer hope for the rapid development of domestic vaccines against this infection.