RSV Respiratory Syncytial Virus

It's that time of year when our little ones are susceptible to all types of germs that cause cause illness. One of the worst conditions for newborns is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). It's highly contagious and can live of the surface of common household items. Below is a small excerpt about this common but potentially fatal disease.

	Respiratory Syncytial Virus "Clinical features: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age. Illness begins most frequently with fever, runny nose, cough, and sometimes wheezing. During their first RSV infection, between 25% and 40% of infants and young children have signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis or pneumonia, and 0.5% to 2% require hospitalization. Most children recover from illness in 8 to 15 days. The majority of children hospitalized for RSV infection are under 6 months of age. RSV also causes repeated infections throughout life, usually associated with moderate-to-severe cold-like symptoms; however, severe lower respiratory tract disease may occur at any age, especially among the elderly or among those with compromised cardiac, pulmonary, or immune systems... Prevention: Development of an RSV vaccine is a high research priority, but none is yet available. Current prevention options include good infection-control practices, RSV-IGIV, and an anti-RSV humanized murine monoclonal antibody. RSV-IGIV or the anti-RSV humanized murine monoclonal antibody can be given during the RSV outbreak season to prevent serious complications of infection in some infants and children at high risk for serious RSV disease (e.g., those with chronic lung disease and prematurely born infants with or without chronic lung disease). Frequent handwashing and not sharing items such as cups, glasses, and utensils with persons who have RSV illness should decrease the spread of virus to others. Excluding children with colds or other respiratory illnesses (without fever) who are well enough to attend child care or school settings will probably not decrease the transmission of RSV, since it is often spread in the early stages of illness. In a hospital setting, RSV transmission can and should be prevented by strict attention to contact precautions, such as handwashing and wearing gowns and gloves..." Please visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/rsvfeat.htm to read the entire article and obtain more information.