• May 17, 2024

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the main cause of infections in the lower respiratory tract, which if not adequately or timely treated, can lead to greater severity in diseases such as pneumonia in newborns, especially in winter.

In an interview with GetQoralHealth, the pediatrician and neonatologist Víctor Jurado, member of the Mexican Council of Pediatrics , explains that the respiratory syncytial virus can lead to up to 50% of emergency cases due to pneumonia in newborns or internment during the cold season in our country.

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What is RSV?

The respiratory syncytial virus It occurs in our country from October to March, so its highest incidence is during the winter. It mainly affects newborn children (especially if they were premature) and is responsible for up to 90% of cases of bronchiolitis , according to data from Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health.

It is the most common microorganism that causes infections in the lungs and respiratory tract in children under two years old, however anyone can become infected during their life.

Your first symptoms manifest as a common cold (nasal congestion, cough and fever), which if not treated promptly cause difficulty breathing, wheezing, severe cough, cyanosis (turning blue), and complicating even pictures of pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which is the inflammation and accumulation of mucus in the bronchi.

At present there is no vaccine to prevent the spread of VSR , besides that its treatment with antibiotics does not serve for the disease. Some symptoms can be treated, which, in general, disappear after several days by themselves.

To prevent its contagion, the specialist recommends avoiding contact with other sick people (flu, cold ) and take general hygiene measures, including sterilizing all objects with which they have contact, in addition to the application of a monoclonal antibody that is administered in several doses.

Video Medicine: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Signs, Symptoms and How to Prevent It (May 2024).