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RSV: Big Bad Baby Virus

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Colds, flu and chicken pox are a prevalent health problem in children and infants, but there is one respiratory virus that can be particularly serious for very young children: RSV. Find out more about Respiratory Syncytial Virus here.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a virus that causes infection of the lungs and breathing passages. RSV is very common in children from December to March, and is a potentially serious illness for young children and infants.

RSV is spread easily from person to person through secretions expelled by coughing, sneezing and runny noses. Early symptoms of the virus resemble that of the common cold. It can infect the same person several times in a lifetime, causing more severe illnesses (like pneumonia) in infancy, but only a common cold in older children and adults.

"The infection starts with the child coughing and having trouble breathing. The child may also have a low-grade fever and have little interest in eating or taking a bottle," explains Dr Lori Patterson, Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. "Because these symptoms are so similar to colds, the virus may go undiagnosed until it has reached a more serious stage such as bronchiolitis (an infection of the upper airways of the lungs) or pneumonia."

RSV infections occur all over the world, most often in epidemics that can last up to five months, from late fall through early spring. (By way of example, from the four months from December 2000 through March 2001, East Tennessee Children's Hospital treated 451 proven cases of respiratory syncytial virus.)

According to Dr Patterson, if the virus progresses to bronchiolitis in an infant, the child may need to be hospitalized to receive oxygen or other treatments. Any infection in the lungs can produce swelling, which can block the infant's already small airways and make breathing extremely difficult. Children with lung diseases or heart defects have smaller lung reserves or may need more oxygen than a healthy child, so any restriction to their airways can be dangerous. In addition, antibiotics cannot cure RSV because it is a virus.

Frequent hand washing after coughing or sneezing can help reduce the spread of the virus, as can avoiding crowds during the winter months.

Parents and childcare workers should watch for persistent cough, fever or breathing problems (especially in the very young infants) and consult a pediatrician if these symptoms appear. Early detection can help prevent the spreading of the virus to other children.

Adults should be aware that they can also contribute to the spread of the virus. "An infant usually acquires the infection from close contact with an older family member who may not even realize that he or she is ill," Dr Patterson said. "In adults and older children, the virus may produce mild cold-like symptoms only."

About this article: This information was provided by East Tennessee Children's Hospital, a private, independent, not-for-profit pediatric medical center which has served the East Tennessee region for over 60 years and is certified by the state of Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center.