Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a virus that causes infections of the lungs and breathing passages. this virus is a major cause of respiratory illness in your children. Illnesses can range from severe (like pneumonia) in infancy to mild (like a simple cold) during adulthood. Repeated infections can occur, but later RSV infections are usually less severe than infections occurring earlier in life.

    RSV can be passed from person to person through contact with infected fluids from the nose or mouth of someone with an RSV infection. The virus usually enters the body when a person touches her eyes or nose with finger contaminated by RSV. Contagiousness is highest during the first two days to four days of infection, but RSV may be spread for up to three weeks or even longer after the infection has begun. Once a person has been exposed to RSV, it usually takes four days to six days for symptoms to start.

     RSV infections occur the most often in epidemics, usually from late fall through early spring. The highest rates of RSV illness occur in infants from about two months to eight months of age. Because RSV can be "caught" by a school-aged child and passed to a younger one, infants are at increased risk for RSV infection when they have older brothers and sisters in daycare or school.

    Adults and in children over age 3, RSV usually causes symptoms of an upper respiratory tract illness (cold). These symptoms include a stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, mild headache, mild cough, fever and a general "ill" feeling.

     Children younger than age 3, RSV causes a lower respiratory tract illness, such as bronchiloitis. Symptoms could be high fever, severe cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, and difficulty breathing. In infants with severe RSV infection, there may be retractions (drawing in of the chest muscles and skin between the ribs) indicating that the infant is having severe difficulty breathing.

     RSV infection is not treated with antibiotics, since drugs do not work against viruses. If you are caring for a child who has an RSV infection the goal is to make the child comfortable while the body's defense mechanisms fight the virus. A cool-mist humidifier can add moisture to the air and soothe your child's irritated breathing passages and help relieve the cough. If a humidifier is used, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for keeping clean and mold-free. Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids, such as water and fruit juice.

    If it is necessary to loosen mucus that blocks your child's nose, you can use nonprescription saltwater (saline) nose drops. If your child is too young to blow her nose and blocked nostrils are causing her discomfort, use a bulb syringe to gently remove sticky nasal fluids.

    Treat fever using a nonaspirin fever reducing medicine, such as acetaminophen. Unless, instructed by your child's doctor, do not give aspirin to a child who has a viral illness, since the use of aspirin in certain viral infections has been associated with the development of Reye's syndrome.

    Infants and younger children who have severe RSV pneumonia or bronchiolitis may need to be treated in a hospital. Treatment may include humidified oxygen and medicines that help open up breathing passages.

    RSV infection usually lasts about a week, but may last somewhat longer. Children who are hospitalized for an RSV illness may spend 5 days to 7 days in the hospital.

     Currently there is no vaccine to prevent RSV infection, although research is being done to develop one. In practical terms, preventing RSV is difficult. Because RSV is spread on hands that have touched contaminated body fluids or objects, it is important to wash your hands after touching anyone who has a cold or an RSV infection. To prevent RSV infections in infants, keep persons who have cold symptoms at a distance from your baby.

    Since RSV can contaminate toys in schools and daycare centers, teachers and caregivers should carefully wash and disinfect toys often.

    A medicine called respiratory syncytial virus immune globulin has been approved to try to prevent severe RSV infections. The medicine is recommended for use only in certain babies born prematurely and in some infants who have chronic lung problems.

     Call your doctor if your child has any of the following symptoms: high fever, severe, prolonged, or unusual cough, or difficult, irregular or rapid breathing.

In infants, in addition to symptoms already mentioned, call your doctor if your child is unusually irritable or inactive, has retractions (drawing in) of the chest muscles and skin between the ribs when breathing, or difficulty feeding.