RSV accounts for hospitalisation of 1 in 5 young children < 5 years diagnosed with acute lower respiratory infections and 1 in 6 in adults > 65 years.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
General Information
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a globally prevalent cause of lower respiratory tract infection in all age groups. In infants and young children, the first infection may cause severe bronchiolitis that can sometimes be fatal.
In addition to the paediatric burden of disease, RSV is increasingly being recognised as an important pathogen in older adults, with infection leading to an increase in hospitalisation rates among those aged 65 years and over, and to increased mortality rates among the frail elderly that approach the rates seen with influenza.
RSV is also a nosocomial threat both to young infants and among immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
Transmission
RSV is transmitted through respiratory droplets or via direct contact with a surface containing the virus.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of RSV include runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing.
Most RSV infections resolve on their own in a week or two, but RSV can also cause more severe infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Epidemiology
Annually, the virus is estimated to cause 33 million cases and 66,000 to 199,000 deaths of children below five years.
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