WHO WATCH: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Genomic Surveillance – How & Why

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Background:

‘Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that causes infections of the upper and lower respiratory airways (including the nose, sinuses and lungs). Each year, RSV causes an estimated 3.6 million RSV-associated hospitalizations and approximatively 100 000 RSV-attributable deaths in children under 5 years of age worldwide.

‘The RSV genomic surveillance guidance is critically important, operationalizing a core pillar of the Global Genomic Surveillance Strategy for Pathogens with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential (2022–2032). Specifically, it:

• Increases awareness amongst policy makers of the public health importance of RSV genomic surveillance
• Strengthens laboratory and genomic surveillance and bioinformatics capacities in Member States
• Serves to generate an evidence base of genetic sequence data for RSV at the global level and fill information gaps especially in low- and lower-middle income countries’

The objectives of this webinar are:

• To orient the public health community on the importance of RSV genomic surveillance and the technical and operational considerations for RSV sequencing and bioinformatics
• Support in strengthening LMICs capacities for RSV genetic sequencing and bioinformatics, to better understand and monitor RSV phylogenetic diversity
• Help standardize genomic surveillance practices across countries, encouraging timely sharing of genetic sequence data to public-accessible data platforms

Speakers:

• Welcome remarks – the importance of RSV genomic surveillance, WHO efforts : Dr Wenqing Zhang (TBC)
• RSV genomic surveillance – operational considerations: Dr. Thomas Williams, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
• Leveraging RSV genetic sequence data for public health: Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, GISAID Data Science Initiative

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