At a glance
- The Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RSV-NET) is part of the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET).
- RSV-NET conducts population-based surveillance for hospitalizations associated with laboratory-confirmed RSV among children and adults.
- Data from RSV-NET are collected by a network of sites from acute-care hospital facilities in 12 states covering almost 8% of the U.S. population.
RSV-NET Interactive Dashboard
How to Use the RSV-NET Interactive Dashboard
1) Select a topic of interest
To use the RSV-NET interactive dashboard, select a topic to see specific data trends. Topics include rates by age group, sex, or race and ethnicity as well as clinical characteristics, including underlying medical conditions and intensive care unit admission. Rates can be viewed by week or cumulative. Clinical characteristics can be viewed by month, quarter, or surveillance season.
2) Select a filter of interest
Topics of interest can be filtered by age group, sex, and race and ethnicity. Filters vary by topic, as not all topics have filters available.
3) Select different ways to view the data
The data can be displayed in a graph or as a table. Right click anywhere in the graph for a tabular view. Hovering your mouse over or selecting a data point or bar in the graph will display detailed information. Some graphs allow you to hide or show data from the legend for detailed analysis.
The rates presented on the RSV-NET interactive dashboard can be used to follow trends and comparisons of RSV-associated hospitalizations in different demographic groups and over time. However, the rates are unadjusted and do not account for undertesting, differing provider or facility testing practices, and diagnostic test sensitivity. The true burden of RSV-associated hospitalizations in the United States may be underestimated by these numbers. This dashboard is updated weekly.
Data are preliminary and subject to change as more data become available. Rates for recent hospital admissions are subject to reporting delays that might increase around holidays or during periods of increased hospital utilization. As new data are received each week, previous rates are updated accordingly.
Why RSV-NET Data Are Important
Key Concept
RSV-associated hospitalization rates are used to understand trends in virus circulation, estimate disease burden, and respond to outbreaks. Demographic and detailed clinical information, including underlying conditions, allows CDC to better understand RSV-associated hospitalization trends and determine who is most at risk.
Case Definition
A case is defined as laboratory-confirmed RSV in a person who:
- Lives in a defined RSV-NET surveillance area AND
- Tests positive for RSV (using a laboratory-based molecular, antigen, serology, or antibody test) within 14 days before or during hospitalization.
RSV-NET Surveillance Area
RSV-NET currently comprises 65 counties and county equivalents in 12 states that participate in the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) or the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Program (IHSP). The RSV-NET surveillance area is generally similar to the U.S. population by demographics; however, RSV-NET data might not be generalizable to the entire country.
Calculating Hospitalization Rates
RSV-NET surveillance began tracking RSV-associated hospitalizations in adults in the 2016–2017 season and in children in the 2018–2019 season. To calculate RSV-associated hospitalization rates, RSV-NET collects the following demographic data from cases:
- Age
- Sex
- Race and ethnicity
- County of residence
- Date of hospital admission
- Positive RSV test result and date
Hospitalization rates are calculated as the number of residents in a surveillance area who are hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed RSV divided by the total population estimate for that area. National Center for Health Statistics bridged-race population estimates are used as denominators for rate calculations prior to the 2020–2021 season. Beginning with the 2020–2021 season, unbridged census population estimates (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2020–2022 Special Tabulation) are used as denominators.
Collecting Clinical Data
Clinical data collected to describe clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with RSV include:
- Medical history (e.g., underlying health conditions)
- Clinical course (i.e., progression of the RSV illness such as admission to an ICU)
- Medical interventions (i.e., medical care for the RSV illness such as need for mechanical ventilation)
- Outcomes (i.e., discharged from the hospital or death)
- RSV immunization history