Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): is a common virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older, healthy children. But it can be fatal for infants especially those in low and middle income countries who lack adequate access to medical care.
The virus, which infects the lungs and breathing passage, is a major cause of respiratory illness in young children.
Researchers in Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) has revealed that infant deaths from respiratory syncytial virus is much higher nearly one in 10s of all deceased infants under 6 months were infected with RSV, it said.
It was earlier estimated that over 120,000 infants die from the virus each year. According to the researchers, this figure is based hospital-based surveillance and does not include RSV deaths that occur in the community.
In the new study, the BUSPH-led team used systematic surveillance to measure the presence of RSV among infants who died in medical facilities or in the community.
They found that 7 to 9 per cent of infants under 6 months old were infected with the virus and the presence was primarily concentrated in infants under 3 months old. Sadly, two-thirds of these RSV deaths occurred in the community -among infants who never received medical care in a hospital. The study results were published in the journal The Lancet Global Health.
Why young infants at particular risk of RSV infections?
The study's principal investigator Christopher Gill, associate professor of global health at BUSPH, said that very young infants have very small airways, and thus they are at particular risk of RSV infections anatomically.
The researchers studied data of 2,286 deceased infants in Lusaka. They found RSV responsible for at least 2.8 per cent of all infant deaths, and 4.7 per cent of all infant deaths outside of hospitals. Most of these deaths were seasonal and were concentrated in the most impoverished areas.
Maternal vaccinations and infant monoclonal antibodies are new tools proposed for prevention of RSV infections. But Gill said that these preventive measures will be most effective immediately after birth and could wane after.
How to prevent your child from this RSV infection
Currently, there is no approved vaccine for RSV, but trials are underway. The researchers do believe that RSV vaccination of mothers would be the most effective strategy to reduce infant mortality from the virus.
Meanwhile, here are a few lifestyle habits that parents need to follow to prevent their children from this infection, as suggested by the Mayo Clinic:
- Keep things clean and wash your hands frequently
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
- Limit your baby's contact with people who have fevers or colds.
- Avoid smoking inside the house. Exposure to tobacco smoke can increase your baby's risk of getting RSV and more-severe symptoms.
- Wash toys regularly.
Symptoms of RSV infection in infants
According to the Mayo Clinic, RSV infection usually causes mild cold-like signs and symptoms that include:
- Congested or runny nose
- Dry cough
- Low-grade fever
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Headache
In severe cases, RSV infection in infants may cause:
- Short, shallow and rapid breathing
- Struggling to breathe chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath
- Cough
- Poor feeding
- Unusual tiredness (lethargy)
- Irritability
When RSV infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, it can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis. Seek immediate medical help if your baby has difficulty breathing, a high fever, or bluish color on the lips and in the nail beds.
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