Of 115 Japanese children with asthma, a respiratory virus was detected in 86%, of which HRV (n = 36) or RSV (n = 47) were most common.79Ex vivo bronchial epithelial cells from people with asthma are more susceptible to HRV infection, due to deficient induction of IFN‐β and IFN‐lambda. This evidence concerns the gene IFNB1 and asthma.