Respiratory syncytial virus infection in adult BMT recipients: effective therapy with short duration nebulised ribavirin

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cause of both upper and lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and children, is rarely described as an infective agent in adults. It has been reported in bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients and patients with malignancy immunosuppressed by chemotherapy. Such reports are often associated with a high mortality. We report an outbreak of RSV infection which occurred predominantly in BMT recipients in which early investigation and institution of ribavirin therapy resulted in all patients making a full recovery.