(Information is provided for informational, not diagnostic purposes. Please consult a health care provider if you are sick.)

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus which causes a runny nose, congestion, cough, and in some cases, pneumonia. It can occur throughout the year, but it usually occurs between November and March.

Who Gets RSV?

Infants up to 3 months of age and those who have other health problems tend to be the sickest when they get RSV. By the time a child is 2-years-old, he will probably have had an RSV infection.

Adults can get RSV also, but their infections are not as serious. It is common to get RSV again and again, but symptoms are usually milder with a second infection.

Transmission, Prevention

RSV is transmitted by contact with fluids from the nose, mouth, and eyes. It is very contagious. RSV is spread from person to person by sharing the same dishes and by not washing hands after sneezing, coughing, or nose blowing, and by coughing into a person's face.

The best way to prevent RSV is thorough handwashing and being careful with objects that an infected person has touched. Washing dishes in hot soapy water should destroy the virus.

When To Call The Doctor

Call if you are worried about your child. In general, pediatricians more frequently wish to see an infant with illness in the first several months of life, because severity of the illness may be more difficult to determine over the phone in very young children.

If the respiratory symptoms appear to interfere with your baby's ability to sleep or drink, or if the baby appears to have difficult or rapid breathing, call the pediatrician.

Treatment

The most common treatment is to treat the symptoms. The doctor may give the child Tylenol for fever, a decongestant to decrease the runny nose, or a medication to help the child breathe easier.

More serious cases may require hospitalization so the child can receive oxygen. Occasionally the doctor will order breathing treatments called albuterol treatments. The respiratory therapist will give these treatments. They are in mist form.

Infants or children who have other health problems may be given a drug called ribavirin. It is delivered in mist form. The child will probably be in a mist tent or a head box to receive the drug. It is breathed into the lungs and attacks the RSV. The child may receive the drug for 16-20 hours a day.