A statewide Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance system was implemented in Florida in 1999 to support clinical decision-making for prophylaxis of premature infants. RSV infections usually occur during the late fall, winter, or early spring months (CDC). Data collected by the Florida RSV surveillance system from 1999 present allow us to identify geographical regions where high infection rates also occur during the summer months.
Data are collected weekly from 12 sentinel hospitals throughout Florida. Each site reports the total number of RSV tests performed and the total number positive to the Bureau of Epidemiology via email or fax. Regional and statewide data are made available to public health professionals, health care providers and the public via a website.
RSV activity typically peaks in the months of November through January and is least active in summer. Although summer months typically have less RSV activity in Florida, participating facilities, especially in South Florida, consistently report greater than 10% of laboratory tests as positive in most summer months.
The determination of unique seasonal and geographical trends of RSV activity has important implications as it relates to prescribing patterns for initiating prophylaxis to children at high-risk for RSV infection. The data obtained through RSV surveillance have proven to be a useful guide to Florida's healthcare professionals in understanding the unique seasonal and geographical RSV trends in Florida. This unique trend has also been validated by the CDC in a recent MMWR article which is included in a link below.
We really appreciate all of the quality data that our sentinel hospitals provide. If you would like further information regarding becoming a sentinel hospital please contact the Bureau of Epidemiology at (850) 245-4401.
Current Florida RSV Surveillance Information:
To request the information contained in the PDFs
above in a more accessible format, please send an email to
EPI_Admin@doh.state.fl.us.
Please note: Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written
communications to or from state officials regarding state business are public
records available to the public and media upon request. Your e-mail
communications may therefore be subject to public disclosure.
Florida RSV Program Information:
RSV Regional Breakdown (pdf - 240KB)
Florida RSV Surveillance Program Historical Trends
RSV Articles:
MMWR Brief Report: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity (December 7, 2007) (pdf - 94KB)
RSV: Respiratory virus can be life threatening (December 17, 2007) (pdf - 38KB)
Additional RSV Information:
About Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) (pdf - 454KB)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's RSV Page
CDC's National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS)
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