Impact of Respiratory Viral Infections in Transplant Recipients

Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are among the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Transplant recipients remain at high risk for super imposed bacterial and fungal pneumonia, chronic graft dysfunction, and graft failure as a result of RVIs. Recent multicenter retrospective studies and prospective studies utilizing contemporary molecular diagnostic techniques have better delineated the epidemiology and outcomes of RVIs in pediatric transplant recipients and have advanced the development of preventative vaccines and treatment interventions in this population. In this review, we will define the epidemiology and outcomes of RVIs in SOT and HSCT recipients, describe the available assays for diagnosing a suspected RVI, highlight evolving management and vaccination strategies, review the risk of donor derived RVI in SOT recipients, and discuss considerations for delaying transplantation in the presence of an RVI.