OCTOBER 26, 2018

Minnesota RSV Outbreak Traced to New Virus Strain

By Ethan Covey

An outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that took place in Minnesota during the summer of 2017 was caused by a distinct viral strain never previously seen in the area, according to a new study presented at IDWeek 2018, in San Francisco (abstract 982).

The outbreak resulted in 58 cases of RSV from May through September 2017—more than triple the usual number caused by the previous year’s seasonal outbreak.