Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41219792›Full record

ArticleTropical medicine and health2025

Epidemiology of moderate-to-severe respiratory syncytial virus infections in children in subtropical Okinawa, Japan: a 4-year retrospective study.

Kahoru Fukuoka-Araki, Kotaro Araki, Hiromi Fukuoka, Yoshiaki Cho, Kei Matayoshi, Tomoko Makiya, Saori Kinjo, Tetsu Yamashiro

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Article in Tropical medicine and health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kahoru Fukuoka-ArakiDepartment of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 1076 Kiyuna, Ginowan City, Okinawa, 901-2720, Japan. kahoru0910@gmail.com.
Kotaro ArakiDepartment of Pediatrics, Yaeyama Hospital, 584-1 Maezato, Ishigaki City, Okinawa, 907-0002, Japan.
Hiromi FukuokaDepartment of Pediatrics, Okinawa Miyako Hospital, 427-1 Hirara Shimozato, Miyakojima City, Okinawa, 906-0013, Japan.
Yoshiaki ChoDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Okinawa Prefectural Nanbu Medical Center & Children's Medical Center, 118-1 Arakawa, Shimajiri District, Haebaru Town, Okinawa, 901-1193, Japan.
Kei MatayoshiDepartment of Pediatrics, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, 281 Miyazato, Uruma City, Okinawa, 904-2293, Japan.
Tomoko MakiyaDepartment of Neonatology, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, 281 Miyazato, Uruma City, Okinawa, 904-2293, Japan.
Saori KinjoDepartment of Pediatrics, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, 281 Miyazato, Uruma City, Okinawa, 904-2293, Japan.
Tetsu YamashiroDepartment of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 1076 Kiyuna, Ginowan City, Okinawa, 901-2720, Japan. tyamashi@cs.u-ryukyu.ac.jp.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) in infants and young children worldwide. While its epidemiology is well-characterized in temperate climates, data from subtropical regions such as Okinawa, Japan, remain limited. This study aimed to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics, risk factors, and seasonality of moderate-to-severe RSV infections in children under 5 years across Okinawa.

methodsThis retrospective, multicenter study analyzed pediatric cases of laboratoryconfirmed RSV infection requiring hospitalization between April 2017 and March 2021. Data were collected from four core hospitals across Okinawa Prefecture. Patients were categorized as having moderate or severe disease based on ICU admission status. Demographic variables, underlying diseases, household and childcare characteristics, and seasonal trends were assessed.

resultsA total of 1541 hospitalized RSV cases were included, of which 117 (7.6%) were classified as severe. Overall, 89.0% were under 24 months of age, with the highest burden in the 0-2 month group. In univariate analysis, severe cases were significantly younger, more likely to have siblings, and less likely to attend nursery school compared with moderate cases. The overall prevalence of underlying diseases did not differ between groups; however, having two or more underlying diseases was significantly associated with severity. Multivariate logistic regression confirmed younger age, the presence of siblings, and underlying diseases (both any and multiple) as independent risk factors for severe infection. Seasonal peaks occurred consistently in summer during 2017-2019. In contrast, in 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemic curve became broader and peak timings varied across hospitals. Overall, the total number of cases decreased by 62% compared with the pre-pandemic average.

conclusionsThis study provides a comprehensive region-wide assessment of moderate-to-severe pediatric RSV infections in a subtropical setting in Japan. Despite not including data on the use of palivizumab, nirsevimab, or maternal vaccination, the findings provide essential baseline data to guide the implementation of new preventive strategies tailored to local epidemiology.

Indexed as

COVID-19Okinawa islandsPediatric infectious diseaseRespiratory infectionRespiratory syncytial virusSubtropical region

Identifiers

PMID41219792
PMCPMC12607051

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.