Respiratory Syncytical Virus Infection

“Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract. It is so common that most children have been infected with the virus by age 2” (Mayo). The same as most viruses, RSV may go away on their own, but some cases can get severe and require special treatment and even hospitalization. “For most babies and young children, the infection causes nothing more than a cold. But for a small percentage, infection with the RSV virus can lead to serious problems” (WebMD).

RSV is more prevalent during winter and early spring in temperate climates, although timing may differ among locations. In most cases, healthy infants infected with RSV do not need to be hospitalized, recovery from illness usually occurs in about one to two weeks. Adults with compromised immune systems and premature infants and children with congenital heart and lung defects are at a higher risk for severe disease and hospitalization (www.aapredbook.com).

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has a seasonal and yearly incidence, usually between November and April. It is responsible for high infant morbidity and mortality worldwide.. By the first year of life, 60% of children are infected, and almost 100% are infected by 2 years of age. (Saso,&Kampmann,2016). The more common age for hospitalizations occur between 2-3 months of age, and is the leading cause of infants being hospitalized in the developed world, accounting for 2 % of admissions during the winter season. (geerdink,Pillay,Meyalard,2015). The natural RSV infection in those younger than 6 months does not adequately develop a long-lasting immunological response, making reoccurrence of infection likely to reoccur. RSV is an infection that causes cold-like illness that can also cause otitis media, rhinitis, bronchitis, croup, and, pneumonia. Although RSV can cause different reactions, Bronchiolitis is the most common form of occurrence in the pediatric population. This virus is very caustic to the respiratory lining for vulnerable infants, that it increases the risk for respiratory diseases in later years of childhood.

Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV) is an infection that is contagious that resembles the common cold a lot of times. RSV is the most common viral pathogen that causes lower respiratory tract infections in infants. RSV infection in infancy cause severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia and may incline children to the following development of asthma, the most common chronic illness of childhood. RSV is the most single related cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Epidemics of the virus are seen each winter, 80% of infections typically occur during a three-month period. The virus is not typically severe during infancy but it is rare if it happens. (As, in my case I was born with the RSV virus and was hospitalized for eighteen days and was put on assisted ventilation.) In infants RSV infection can spread to the bronchial tubes and lungs. The virus can also infect adults, in where the infection can cause viral pneumonia, which is sometimes followed by a bacterial infection of the lower respiratory system.

The route of transmission of the disease is via infected droplets that spray into the air when people cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can then be inhaled by other people who are in close proximity to the person who is infected. Unfortunately, these droplets can remain active and contagious for several hours on a surface, such that when you touch it with your fingers and then touch your nose or mouth you can become infected. While most cases are easily diagnosed by simply looking at the patient, in the majority of cases it is preferable to have blood tests to confirm 100%. Typically the patient will have a rash that looks like small, bright Koplik’s spots on the inside

RSV is the most common cause of LRTI’s leading to morbidity and mortality in children across the world. Most children have acquired an RSV infection by the time they reach 2 years of age. It is typical to see these infections during the winter/early spring seasons in temperate regions, and during the rainy seasons in tropical areas. This is likely due to the increase of indoor crowding related to weather. The transmission of RSV requires close contact by either a large particle aerosol, or by contamination of hands followed by an inoculation into the eye or nose. Secondary infections are seen in in family contacts of an individual with a primary case due to their close contact.

RSV is a virus that is hard to diagnosis because the signs and symptoms are a lot like the common cold. One may start to develop a runny nose or decrease in appetite the first couple of days when having this virus; but coughing, sneezing, and wheezing may also occur. In young infants, they may experience irritability or difficulties with breathing (“CDC,” 2014). One may have this virus before realizing the symptoms like a dry cough, low grade fever, sore throat or headache (Mayo Clinic, 1998). Someone with an upper respiratory tract infection may have a fever, headache, sore throat or wheezing; whereas someone with a lower respiratory tract infection may have a cough, increased breathing rate, tightness in the chest. While both tract infections should be taken seriously, they both can lead to RSV.

In severe cases HSV 1 can spread to other parts of the body such as the eyes, brain and skin (AAD, 2014). HSV 1 is so common that 65% of people in the United States have antibodies of it. Worldwide 90% people are infected with at least one herpes simplex viruses (Simon, 2010).

A study of Hong Kong cases revealed that several factors contributed to the spread and treatment of this virus. These included weather, quarantine, personal protective gear, and possibly animal transmission (Lin, Yee-Tak Fong, Zhu, & Karlberg, 2005).

more serious for very old and very young people. If a child contracts a disease their body might

Children suffering from allergies, sensitivities, or who simply have a weak immune system become particularly susceptible to the after-effects of being subject to such dangerous strains of diseases.

RSV is a highly contagious disease. Exposure and infection of respiratory syncytial virus can easily spread in a crowded atmosphere for example at school or in a daycare environment (CDC, 2014). People can become infected with RSV through either direct or indirect contact. Direct contact can occur through physical contact with people who are infected or fine aerosol droplets from one who coughed or sneezed. Indirect contact results when the infectious disease passes from the infected host to an intermediate conveyor such as an inanimate object, and then to another host. According to the CDC (2014), RSV can survive on hard surfaces for several hours, and for a shorter amount of time on soft surfaces such as tissues and hands. This is how respiratory syncytial virus can be transmitted from one host to

Doctor Christopher Toshio discovered the virus infects the airways and lungs of the people, causing injury severe acute respiratory syndrome, indicating that immune cells known, as "T" cells are particularly active during infection. The researchers found that these cells are in memory alert other immune cells that are activated to attack the virus and fight the infection. Also, they found that people who have the largest number of these cells, they are less susceptible to this virus, so they added when they improve some medication to stimulates these cells to do its part, it is an effective way to averts this virus (Toshio, 2015). Still nowadays there is not specific medication for RSV. The doctor can give RSV patient medication to reduce heat and pain relief for example, Paracetamole or Ibuprofen.

Rapid virological testing for RSV is recommended in order to guide isolation and allocate Liam into cohorts in hospital (Fitzgerald, 2011).

Countries of the world do not understand specifically how people become infected with MERS-CoV, but it is believed that the virus can be passed from person to person when they are in close contact with each other, but WHO claims the virus does not easily transmit from person