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Infant virus looks like a cold, feels like a cold, but is potentially nastier
By Jeremiah Stettler
It may look like the common cold, and perhaps even feel like it, but respiratory syncytial virus (commonly known as RSV) is more serious than a runny nose or cough may suggest. "RSV has a big impact on infants," Logan pediatrician Bruce O'Very said, "particularly those who are born prematurely." But diagnosing RSV is not simply 2+2=4. The Bear River Health District explains that it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between RSV and the common cold without taking a culture. "When a child comes in with the classic presentation of upper respiratory infection or respiratory distress, it's difficult to tell by simply looking at the child whether or not it's RSV, influenza or a bad rhinovirus," O'Very said. "RSV often goes along with a lot of the other upper respiratory infections during the same time period." As is the case with a cold, symptoms usually include a fever, chills, headaches, general aching and tiredness. In infants, however, poor feeding, irritability or a temporary cessation of breathing can also signal RSV. Inflammation of the upper breathing tubes, nose, throat, tonsils and bronchial tubes is also common. Although only 0.5 to 2 percent of all infants require hospitalization after contracting the disease, RSV can develop into a life-threatening illness. The Centers for Disease Control rank RSV as the leading cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants. It has also been linked to the development of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Yet with the risk as minimal as 2 percent, O'Very explains that the public often overexaggerates the threat of RSV. "We worry about any child in the first year of life," O'Very said. "But I think there is a lot more public fear than is warranted. RSV is but one of the many culprits of respiratory infection." On the other hand, O'Very suggests that parents consult a physician if their child is experiencing some form of respiratory distress. Distress would include infants who are breathing more than 50 times a minute or older children who are breathing more than 40 times a minute. RSV is most-commonly seen on a seasonal basis with traditional outbreaks during the winter months. The National Respiratory Virus Surveillance System reports that RSV most frequently appears between the months of November and May. A longer period was documented in 1997-98 as researchers watched the illness extend for an additional month. Infectious diseases nurse Janet Daniels explains that similar activity was observed in Brigham City. She states that RSV was more prevalant in January and late spring than experienced in previous years. Although no vaccine has been developed for the virus, O'Very says RSV prevention is simple: wash your hands. "In the winter months we tend to spend more time together," O'Very said. "It's like getting a cold. You don't get sick by going out in the cold, you get it from being in close proximity to others. As a result, viruses are passed along. "Prevention can be as simple as washing your hands. If you have a
cold, wash your hands more frequently and be cautious around infants.
If you are the primary caretaker, try to keep children out of situations
that will expose them to upper respiratory infections." |
Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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