Respiratory Syncytial Virus Pneumonia in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Man

To the Editor. —  We would like to report a case of respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in a patient infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. We feel it is important to emphasize that this virus may be as devastating a pathogen in adults as in infants and that both a rapid diagnosis and therapy are available.Respiratory syncytial virus is known as a cause of severe bronchiolitis, pneumonia, apnea, and respiratory failure in infants and children and is particularly lethal for children with abnormal cardiac or pulmonary status.^1,2 A recent article³ has documented respiratory syncytial virus as causing death in 4 and requiring ventilation in 3 of 11 immuno-compromised adults. There is also a recent report⁴ of the successful use of ribavirin to treat respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in an adult cardiac transplant recipient. None of these patients were infected with human immunodeficiency virus. The following case