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Winter bug RSV loses headlines to flu but can kill babies
By Carol Christian | January 31, 2013 | Updated: January 31, 2013 3:11pm
With headlines shouting Influenza this winter, less attention has been paid to another seasonal virus that's especially hard on babies.
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is often mistaken for a common cold but can have serious complications for infants, especially those born prematurely.
"We are seeing plenty of RSV in the clinics, like we do every year at this time," said Dr. Matthew Wigder, a pediatrician with Texas Children's Pediatrics Westchase.
In adults, RSV is virtually the same as a cold, Wigder said, but in small babies, the fever, runny nose and cough can be much more serious.
"In little babies, it has a tendency to literally block up the airways and cause an asthma-like picture," he said.
*Severe coughing or wheezing
*Difficulty breathing or rapid, gasping breaths
*Blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails
*Difficulty feeding or decreased liquid intake
As with the flu this season, RSV showed up early, Wigder said.
"This year, we started seeing RSV in August, which is very strange," he said. "Normally it's October or November." The season typically runs through March, he said.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a weekly average of about 29 percent of laboratory samples in Texas have tested positive for RSV in the three-week period ending Jan. 19.
In early February 2012, the three-week average was about 34 percent.
Most small children get RSV, but the ones who are already medically fragile are the most at risk.
"This not only hospitalizes many, many babies throughout the city and country each fall and winter, it can put many babies into the intensive care unit," Wigder said.
In fact, RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, and severe RSV disease causes up to 10 times as many infant deaths each year as the flu, said Checchia, also a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
RSV is very contagious and can be spread easily through touching, sneezing and coughing and can live on surfaces for several hours, Checchia said in an email.
Since there's no vaccine for RSV, prevention is important, the CDC said.
Checchia recommends that parents take these preventive steps:
*Wash hands, toys, bedding and play areas frequently
*Ensure that family members and visitors wash their hands or use hand sanitizer
*Avoid large crowds and people who are sick or have recently been sick
*Never let anyone smoke near your baby
*Speak with your pediatrician about possible preventive therapy if your child is at high risk for RSV.