Disease of the Month: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
For the month of December, lets look at Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and how it could affect you.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. This respirator illness can be serious, particularly for infants and older adults.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis, which is an inflammation of the small airway in the lungs, and pneumonia in children younger than 1 and in the elderly.
RSV is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus is carried in fluid droplets that can infect you through your eyes, nose or mouth. RSV can also live on surfaces such as doorknobs, shopping cart handles, cell phones, keys, crib rails and countertops for several hours. Touching these contaminated surfaces and then touching your face can cause transmission of the virus.
People infected with RSV are usually contagious for three to eight days. However, individuals with weakened immune systems can continue to spread the virus for up to four weeks after they stop showing symptoms.
Children are most often exposed to RSV outside the home, such as in school or daycare. Children can then transmit the virus to other family members.
Though people of any age can contract RSV, this illness is most severe for infants; children with heart or lung disease; children and adults with weakened immune systems due to medical condition; pregnant women; elderly adults; anyone with chronic lung or heart disease.
In the United States, RSV cases tend to rise during the fall, winter and spring but the circulation of the virus can vary from year to year. Symptoms include runny nose, decrease in appetite, severe coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing and difficulty breathing.
The CDC estimates that almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday.
The good news is that most RSV infections will go away on their own in a week or two. Because RSV is a virus and not a bacterial infection, antibiotics will not work to resolve the illness. Fever, pain and discomfort can be managed with over-the-counter fever reducers and fluids like tea or water. It is important for those infected to stay home from work, school and daycare to avoid passing it to others.
If ill, please avoid crowded, public places like grocery stores and churches to protect others from getting sick.
The bad news is that no vaccine is available to prevent RSV infection although researchers are working on developing one. So it is important that every citizen in our community take steps to help slow the transmission of RSV to help protect those most at risk for serious illness. To do so, please ensure that you are washing your hands with soap and water often, about every 3-4 hours; covering your cough; wearing a mask if you are sick; staying home when sick; wipe surfaces with disinfectant solutions or wipes daily.
For more information about RSV, call the Lincoln County Health Nurse at 406-283-2447 or visit www.cdc.org.
Riley Black is the Lincoln County Health Nurse.