Global epidemiology and disease burden of human parainfluenza virus in adults: a systematic review
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Parainfluenza virus (PIV) is a common cause of respiratory illness in children and immunocompromised adults, but little is known about its epidemiology or disease burden in the general adult population. This review evaluates published global epidemiological and disease burden for PIV in adults, including high-risk patients (immunocompromised or with chronic illnesses), and identifies existing data gaps. A PRISMA systematic review of publications from 2014 to 2023 in PubMed reporting PIV prevalence and disease burden (including hospitalisations, mortality) in adults (≥ 18 years) and high-risk patients was performed. Sixty-five studies were included; which skewed towards Asia, Europe, and North America, highlighting a data gap in global PIV prevalence. Overall prevalence of PIV (all strains) ranged from 0 to 15.2% [median 2%] in the general adult population (not considered high-risk but tested for infection). PIV3 was the most prevalent strain (0.6−15.2% [2.9]), followed by PIV4 (0.4−6.5% [1.9]), PIV1 (0.5−2.8% [1.1]), and PIV2 (0−2.9% [1.1]). PIV prevalence was generally higher in high-risk adults (up to 41% in certain risk groups) and those aged ≥ 65. Mortality rates ranged from 2 to 40% in those high-risk, while need for respiratory assistance ranged from 0.9% to 64.2% and hospitalisation from 3.7% to 45.3%. None of the studies reported cost-related healthcare resource utilisation. Variability of study designs, data stratification, and patient populations in the selected studies challenged evaluating the true prevalence of PIV and its burden. PIV infection carries an underappreciated burden, with substantial morbidity and mortality risks, especially in high-risk patients. Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding global prevalence and economic burden in the general adult population.
Date Issued
2026-01-01
Date Acceptance
2026-01-06
Citation
Reviews in Medical Virology, 2026, 36 (1)
ISSN
1052-9276
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Reviews in Medical Virology
Volume
36
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2026 Sanofi and The Author(s). Reviews in Medical Virology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41581073
Subjects
PIV
burden
parainfluenza virus
prevalence
respiratory illness
Humans
Adult
Prevalence
Paramyxoviridae Infections
Global Health
Cost of Illness
Hospitalization
Respiratory Tract Infections
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Article Number
e70105
Date Publish Online
2026-01-25