Respiratory Syncytial Virus / Bronchiolitis

Respiratory Syncytial Virus / Bronchiolitis

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a very common cause of pneumonia and bronchitis, especially in children that are under one year of age. Generally, children develop a runny nose, fever, coughing, and sometimes wheezing as well. The first time children have RSV infection, generally between 25 and 40% of them show signs of pneumonia or bronchiolitis. Of those,.5% to 2% require a hospital stay. Generally, it takes between 8 and 15 days for children to recover. Many of the children that are hospitalized for this type of infection are in their first six months of life. It can generally cause repeated infections throughout an individual's life span as well, usually associated with cold-like symptoms that are moderate to severe. It is spread through close contact with individuals that already have the infection or contact with objects or surfaces that are contaminated. This can occur through contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, or nose or contact with any type of infectious material, or when the virus is inhaled through the sneezes or coughs of other individuals. These are the most likely times for an infant to contract RSV. In climates that are very temperate outbreaks usually occur during the late fall, or early spring, but they can also take place in winter. It spreads very quickly among children and most children by two years of age have evidence of having had an RSV infection at some point (www.cdc.gov,2005).

In general, it is the most common cause of any type of lower respiratory tract infection in children throughout the world, and virtually all of them will contract it by the age of three. In infants, it is the strongest cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia and also plays a role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. In patients that have immunodeficiency, such as premature and very young infants that have not built up a strong immune system yet, there is a significant chance of morbidity and mortality as it spreads extremely easily. There have been two specific types of RSV identified, subtype a and subtype B. Subtype B is generally asymptomatic and the majority of the population will experience it at some point. Subtype a is the one that predominates in many of the outbreaks that are seen and presents much more severe clinical illness. It affects both the lower and the upper respiratory tract but is most prevalent in illnesses of the lower respiratory tract such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. The obstruction of the airway in RSV can be very dangerous, and this is especially true of infants because their peripheral airways are much smaller than adults. Because of this it is very important to know what the warning signs of the illness are so that children can be treated properly and can recover fully. Infants between age two months and six months are most at risk for RSV, as are premature babies and babies that have other problems that may make their immune system not as efficient such as those that have lung conditions, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, a lack of breast-feeding, older siblings within the home environment, daycare attendance, strong exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke, and a lower socioeconomic status which often correlates with fewer doctor visits and treatment (www.rsvinfo.com, n.d.).