As temperatures dip virus concerns rise.

PositionPrevention of respiratory syncytial virus - Brief article

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is not the flu, but its cold- and flu-like symptoms are surging in children, suggest infectious-disease specialists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. RSV is the leading cause of viral respiratory infections and hospitalizations in infants and children worldwide.

"In several high-risk groups, RSV can cause bronchus and pneumonia. These include prematurely born infants, children with heart disease or immune deficiencies, and children up to three years of age who suffered from asthma or any other chronic lung ailment within six months prior to showing RSV symptoms," warns Asuncion Mejias, assistant professor of pediatrics.

Half of all babies develop an RSV infection within the first year of life and most have had at least one RSV infection by age three, points out Octavio Ramilo, professor of pediatrics. About three to 10% of infants with RSV infections develop severe bronchitis and require hospitalization. Most children recover within a week, but RSV can cause repeated infections throughout life. There...

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