Treating fevers in young children has been a longstanding challenge for clinicians. Rapid differentiation between viral and bacterial infections can alter the course of clinical care and use of antibiotics. Two new studies published in the Aug. 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) show that RNA signatures of host response may represent an important advance in determining the pathogenic source of infection in febrile children. Currently, seriously ill, febrile children are admitted to the hospital and given antibiotics until culture results can rule out bacterial infection. This poses a major burden on health care resources and a challenge for antibiotic stewardship, but is considered acceptable given the substantial risk of serious bacterial infections (estimated to be approximately eight percent) in febrile infants less than 60 days of age. Researchers are hopeful that a genomic approach, based on analysis of the host response to infection through RNA biosignatures, can more quickly and effectively differentiate bacterial and viral infection sources. “These two preliminary studies represent promissory notes,” writes Howard Bauchner, M.D., editor in chief of JAMA, in an accompanying editorial. “If the promises of findings reported in the studies … are fulfilled by replication and refinement in […]