Respiratory syncytial virus-associated illness in adults with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or congestive heart failure.

RSV infection was common in adults with severe COPD and/or advanced CHF. Given the severity of underlying cardiopulmonary diseases in the study population, most illnesses were surprisingly mild. Thus, active immunization rather than passive immunoprophylaxis with monoclonal antibodies may be a more cost-effective strategy.