Development of RSV subgroup neutralizing immunity across consecutive seasons with alternating RSV-A and RSV-B predominance
Abstract
BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulates as two antigenically distinct subgroups, RSV-A and RSV-B, frequently alternating in seasonal predominance. Whether RSV subgroup predominance affects neutralizing immunity and how population immunity shapes subsequent subgroup dynamics, remains unclear. We analyzed multi-season RSV surveillance data and subgroup neutralizing antibody responses to characterize RSV-A/B neutralizing immunity across age groups and successive seasons.MethodsWe analyzed 41,899 respiratory samples collected through sentinel surveillance to characterize RSV-A and RSV-B circulation across five seasons (2021–2026). Subgroup neutralization was measured by live-virus neutralization assays in post-season serum samples from infants, children and adults.ResultsRSV-A and RSV-B alternated in seasonal predominance, with RSV-A predominating in 2021/22 and 2023/24, RSV-B in 2022/23 and 2025/26, with no clear predominance in 2024/25. In infants, the relative neutralizing activity against RSV-A and RSV-B differed across seasons, whereas adults maintained a balanced neutralizing activity against both subgroups. During the first three years of life, repeated exposure broadened antibody responses toward balanced subgroup neutralization. In the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2024/25 seasons, lower neutralizing activity in infants was observed against the subgroup that predominated in the subsequent RSV epidemic.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that neutralizing immunity develops from initially subgroup-biased responses after primary RSV infection toward balanced RSV-A/B neutralization with repeated exposure. Subgroup neutralizing activity in infants varied in the context of alternating RSV-A and RSV-B predominance across successive epidemic seasons. These findings provide new insights into age-dependent and seasonally varying patterns of RSV-A/B neutralizing immunity and subgroup circulation.
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BibTeX
@article{springer2026development,
title = {{Development of RSV subgroup neutralizing immunity across consecutive seasons with alternating RSV-A and RSV-B predominance}},
author = {David N. Springer and Monika Redlberger-Fritz and Christian Borsodi and Stephan W. Aberle and Jeremy V. Camp and Karin Stiasny and Judith H. Aberle},
journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1980628},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1980628},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Development of RSV subgroup neutralizing immunity across consecutive seasons with alternating RSV-A and RSV-B predominance
AU - David N. Springer
AU - Monika Redlberger-Fritz
AU - Christian Borsodi
AU - Stephan W. Aberle
AU - Jeremy V. Camp
AU - Karin Stiasny
AU - Judith H. Aberle
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Frontiers in Immunology
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1980628
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1980628
AB - BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulates as two antigenically distinct subgroups, RSV-A and RSV-B, frequently alternating in seasonal predominance. Whether RSV subgroup predominance affects neutralizing immunity and how population immunity shapes subsequent subgroup dynamics, remains unclear. We analyzed multi-season RSV surveillance data and subgroup neutralizing antibody responses to characterize RSV-A/B neutralizing immunity across age groups and successive seasons.MethodsWe analyzed 41,899 respiratory samples collected through sentinel surveillance to characterize RSV-A and RSV-B circulation across five seasons (2021–2026). Subgroup neutralization was measured by live-virus neutralization assays in post-season serum samples from infants, children and adults.ResultsRSV-A and RSV-B alternated in seasonal predominance, with RSV-A predominating in 2021/22 and 2023/24, RSV-B in 2022/23 and 2025/26, with no clear predominance in 2024/25. In infants, the relative neutralizing activity against RSV-A and RSV-B differed across seasons, whereas adults maintained a balanced neutralizing activity against both subgroups. During the first three years of life, repeated exposure broadened antibody responses toward balanced subgroup neutralization. In the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2024/25 seasons, lower neutralizing activity in infants was observed against the subgroup that predominated in the subsequent RSV epidemic.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that neutralizing immunity develops from initially subgroup-biased responses after primary RSV infection toward balanced RSV-A/B neutralization with repeated exposure. Subgroup neutralizing activity in infants varied in the context of alternating RSV-A and RSV-B predominance across successive epidemic seasons. These findings provide new insights into age-dependent and seasonally varying patterns of RSV-A/B neutralizing immunity and subgroup circulation.
SN - 1664-3224
ER -