Respiratory syncytial virus

A virus which causes infections of the nose and throat in adults, but serious bronchiolitis in children.

A virus that causes acute respiratory illness in children. When infected cells are cultured in a laboratory, a particular clumping of cells becomes apparent and aids in the diagnosis of the infection.

A paramyxovirus that causes infections of the nose and throat. It is a major cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children. In tissue cultures infected with the virus, cells merge together to form a conglomerate (syncytium).

Usually known as RSV, this is one of the myxoviruses. It is among the major causes of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants aged under 18 months and occurs in epidemics every winter.

A single-stranded RNA virus that is an important cause of upper and lower respiratory tract disease in infants, children, and the elderly. When limited to the upper respiratory tract, RSV causes symptoms of the common cold. In the lower respiratory tract, it causes bronchiolitis, pneumonia, or respiratory distress, and can be life-threatening. Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common cause of lower respiratory infections in infants and children under age 2. It is spread by physical contact, usually with infected nasal or oral secretions. In the U.S. its season begins in the fall and peaks in winter. About 90,000 young children are hospitalized with RSV infections each year in the U.S.