Kids' Respiratory Virus Season Off and Running

Kids' Respiratory Virus Season Off and Running
THURSDAY, Dec. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The season for outbreaks ofrespiratory syncytial virus -- the most common cause of bronchiolitis andpneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age -- is under way,with early case reports coming in from southern and northeastern states,U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can cause infectionsthroughout life, results in bronchiolitis or pneumonia in up to 40 percentof young children as well as between 75,000 and 125,000 hospitalizationsin the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention report.
Those at most risk for severe illness and death from the virus arepremature infants, older adults, and persons of any age with compromisedrespiratory, cardiac or immune systems, the CDC said.
In most parts of the United States, RSV outbreaks usually occur duringthe winter, although there can be significant differences based on region.For example, the RSV season starts earlier and lasts longer in Floridathan in other areas of the country, according to the report in the Dec. 7issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
During the 2006-07 season, labs in 36 states reported 21,470infections.
Although the national RSV season hasn't fully started yet, the reportsshowed that infections were seen during the week ending Nov. 17 in theSouth and during the week ending Nov. 24 in the Northeast. Labs in theMidwest and West have not reported any RSV activity in November, the CDCsaid.
There is no vaccine for the virus, and most children recover in eightto 15 days, the agency noted.
"As is true of most respiratory viral infections, RSV is spread fromperson to person quite readily," said Dr. David Katz, director of the YaleUniversity School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center. "Transmissioncan be reduced considerably by simple measures, such as routinehand-washing, and avoiding close contact with those infected."
The virus can be transmitted through droplets from sneezes and coughs,and from household surfaces on which the virus can lie.
For people most at risk of RSV infection, there is some protectionavailable in the form of an antibody to the virus that is given monthlyalong with the antiviral drug ribavirin, Katz said.
"Good surveillance data enhance this effort by providing an early andreliable alert system for likely exposures," he said. "Armed with thisinformation, pediatricians can make optimal use of the antibody againstRSV. This is a clear case where forewarned is forearmed."