Biomedical subjects

Nefert Candace Dossou

Publications and source records attributed to Nefert Candace Dossou.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults: from infection to outcomes - who gets sick, who gets hospitalized, who survives?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus responsible for acute respiratory infections and is widely recognized as a major pathogen in the paediatric population. Thus, the burden of RSV in the adult population remains poorly understood, as epidemiological studies mainly rely on PMSI (Medicalization of Information Systems Program) data, which are coded for economic purposes, and because many adults RSV infections remain underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological and clinical characteristics of RSV infections in elderly population across four university hospitals in north-western France during the 2022-2023 epidemic season. This retrospective cohort included all patients aged 60 years and older who tested positive for RSV between September 1st, 2022, and January 31st, 2023, in four university hospitals. Viral detection was performed using molecular assays on respiratory samples. Clinical, demographic, biological, and coding data were collected from medical records and hospital information systems. Outcomes included need for oxygen therapy, intensive care admission, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, readmission within 90 days for a respiratory or cardiac reason, and changes in living arrangements. Statistical analyses used descriptive methods and standard tests for comparisons. A total of 647 patients were included. The mean age was 77.8 years, and most patients had at least one chronic medical condition, primarily respiratory or cardiac. 508 (78.5%) patients were hospitalized. The mean hospital stay was 16.2 days, and oxygen therapy was required in 68.3% of cases. In-hospital mortality reached 11.0%. Among survivors, 38.0% were readmitted within 90 days for a respiratory or cardiac reason. A notable proportion of patients experienced a loss of autonomy leading to institutional placement at discharge. RSV was coded in the PMSI database as a diagnosis in approximately two-thirds of hospitalizations, with substantial variations between centers. RSV infection in older adults was associated with significant morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and a frequent decline in functional status. The study also identified heterogeneity in coding practices and emphasized limitations of PMSI data for capturing respiratory syncytial virus burden. These findings support the need for expanded screening, along with targeted preventive strategies and structured post-discharge follow-up to reduce the long-term burden of RSV in older populations.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Real-world emergence of nirsevimab resistance in breakthrough infections with respiratory syncytial virus-B: a multicentre observational study in France.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody targeting a conserved epitope on the prefusion F protein (site Φ), has shown high efficacy in clinical trials and early real-world studies. Although widespread resistance has not been reported, concerns remain about the emergence of escape variants, particularly among RSV-B viruses. During the 2024-25 RSV season in France, RSV-B predominated, providing a unique opportunity to examine breakthrough infections with RSV-B and resistance at a large scale. The study aimed to characterise RSV escape from nirsevimab using genotypic and phenotypic methods. METHODS: This POLYRES-2 project was a multicentre, national, observational study conducted in hospital settings (inpatients and outpatients) across France during the 2024-25 RSV season. We included infants aged 1 year or under with a RT-PCR-confirmed RSV infection in routine care, regardless of whether they had received nirsevimab. Infants were identified through hospital virology laboratory databases. Each participating centre was requested to include a balanced number of nirsevimab-exposed and non-exposed infected infants throughout the study period. Clinical data were retrieved from electronic medical records. We compared RSV susceptibility to nirsevimab in infants who received nirsevimab with that in nirsevimab-naive infants. Respiratory samples were sequenced for full-length RSV genomes. To ensure reliability, phylogenetic and mutational analyses were restricted to high-quality sequences with greater than or equal to 90% genome coverage and complete reads across the nirsevimab-binding site. Clinical RSV isolates were tested for neutralisation by nirsevimab. We analysed F candidate substitutions using a fusion inhibition assay. The primary outcomes were presence of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) in the RSV F protein (site Φ) and phenotypic resistance to nirsevimab. FINDINGS: Among 1023 RSV-infected infants, 858 (83·9%) had full-length RSV genome sequences: 419 (48·8%) from nirsevimab-treated breakthrough infections (212 [50·6%] RSV-A, 207 [49·4%] RSV-B) and 439 (51·2%) from nirsevimab-naive infants (192 [43·7%] RSV-A, 247 [56·3%] RSV-B). RASs were identified in two of 195 RSV-A breakthrough infections (1·0%) and in 23 of 184 RSV-B breakthrough infections (12·5%). In RSV-A, the only RAS was F:K209E, conferring intermediate resistance. In RSV-B, resistance was more frequent and diverse than in RSV-A: 12 of 23 (52.2%) resistant viruses carried a substitution at residue 208 (F:N208D, F:N208I, F:N208K, F:N208S, or F:N208Y). Additional novel substitutions, including F:I64V/F:K65E, F:K68I, F:L204S, and F:P205S, also mediated resistance. Notably, a resistant RSV-B variant (F:N208S) was detected almost 1 year after prophylaxis. No resistant RSV was detected in nirsevimab-naive infants. INTERPRETATION: Resistance to nirsevimab in RSV-B can emerge in real-world settings, affecting around 12% of breakthrough infections and showing greater diversity than previously recognised, although the clinical impact remains constrained by available evidence. Detection of resistant variants long after prophylaxis highlights the need for extended genomic surveillance. Integration of clinical and virological data will be essential to sustain the long-term effectiveness of RSV monoclonal antibody programmes. FUNDING: This study was supported by a grant from the Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le Sida et les hépatites virales - Maladies Infectieuses Emergentes and the French Ministry of Health and Prevention.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

Genotypic and phenotypic characterisation of respiratory syncytial virus after nirsevimab breakthrough infections: a large, multicentre, observational, real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, has been approved for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in infants. In France, more than 210 000 single doses were administered in infants younger than 1 year during the 2023-24 season. In this context, the selection and spread of escape variants might be a concern. Here, we aimed to characterise RSV associated with breakthrough infection. METHODS: We did a multicentre, national, observational study in France during the 2023-24 RSV season in RSV-infected infants (aged <1 year) who either received or did not receive a dose of nirsevimab before their first RSV season. We excluded infants with insufficient information about nirsevimab treatment or without parental consent. We used respiratory samples collected in each laboratory for full-length RSV RNA sequencing to analyse changes in the nirsevimab binding site Ø. We tested clinical RSV isolates for neutralisation by nirsevimab. We analysed F candidate substitutions by fusion-inhibition assay. FINDINGS: Of the 695 RSV infected infants, we analysed 545 (78%) full-length RSV genome sequences: 260 (48%) from nirsevimab-treated breakthrough infections (236 [91%] RSV-A and 24 [9%] RSV-B) and 285 (52%) from untreated RSV-infected infants (236 [83%] RSV-A and 49 [17%] RSV-B). Analysis of RSV-A did not reveal any substitution in site Ø known to be associated with resistance to nirsevimab. Two (8%) of 24 RSV-B breakthrough infections had resistance-associated substitutions: F:N208D (dominant resistance-associated substitution) and a newly described F:I64M plus F:K65R combination (minority resistance-associated substitution), both of which induced high levels of resistance in the fusion-inhibition assay. INTERPRETATION: This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the largest genotypic and phenotypic surveillance study of nirsevimab breakthrough infections to date. Nirsevimab breakthrough variants remain very rare despite the drug's widespread use. The detection of resistance-associated substitutions in the RSV-B F protein highlights the importance of active molecular surveillance. FUNDING: ANRS Maladies Infectieuses Emergentes and the French Ministry of Health and Prevention.

Humans↗