What is respiratory syncytial virus? Learn more and take precautions!

Recently, a pathogen called syncytial virus has become popular again! Many people heard about this virus for the first time, and their first reaction was – what the hell is this? Influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19 have not yet subsided, so how come respiratory syncytial virus is here again?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was first discovered in 1956. Because it causes adjacent cells to fusion during cell culture and the cytopathic changes form a structure similar to a ” syncytium “, it is vividly called the respiratory “syncytial” virus.

Syncytial virus belongs to the genus Orthopneumovirus of the family Pneumoviridae. It is a non-segmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus that can cause respiratory infections in people of all ages and is the most important viral pathogen causing acute lower respiratory tract infections in children under 5 years old.

For infants and young children, the early stage of infection may manifest as upper respiratory tract symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough, accompanied by high fever. Later, it may develop into lower respiratory tract infection , with symptoms such as cough and wheezing, and further develop into bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Severe RSV infection can also cause dysfunction of multiple tissues and organs throughout the body.

my country is one of the countries with a high incidence of syncytial virus in the world, and there is currently no effective prevention method. Clinically, only symptomatic supportive treatment is used.

Mode of transmission 

Mainly through contact of the nasopharyngeal or ocular mucosa with virus-containing secretions or contaminants, but droplets and aerosols can also cause transmission, such as close contact with patients coughing or sneezing.

Infected population 

The general population is susceptible, and the high-risk groups are mainly children, the elderly and people with weakened immune function . Outbreaks can also occur in specific places such as nursing homes, confinement centers, childcare institutions, hospitals and other places where there are dense crowds or people with weakened immune function gather.

Symptoms of infection 

It can manifest as mild upper respiratory tract infection or otitis media, or severe lower respiratory tract infection, which is mainly related to the child’s age, underlying diseases, environmental exposure factors and previous history of respiratory tract infection. Infection cannot produce permanent immunity and cannot protect children from reinfection. The incubation period is usually 2-8 days, and the clinical manifestations are mainly respiratory tract infection symptoms.

Most early infections are limited to the upper respiratory tract, manifested as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough and hoarseness. Most symptoms of children will disappear on their own within 1-2 weeks, and a small number will develop into lower respiratory tract infection, manifested as bronchiolitis or pneumonia, which is more common in infants under 2 years old. Symptoms include coughing and wheezing. A very small number of them will further worsen and develop shortness of breath and feeding difficulties. In severe cases, respiratory failure may develop, which may affect organs outside the respiratory system and even lead to death.

Preventive measures 

There is currently no available respiratory syncytial virus vaccine or specific treatment in China. Therefore, the most important measure to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection is to develop good personal hygiene habits.

1. Pay attention to personal hygiene, wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

2. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose, not your hands, and throw the used tissue into a covered trash can.

3. When going to crowded and poorly ventilated areas, you must wear a mask.

4. Keep the home environment clean and ventilate regularly to maintain indoor air circulation.

5. If you have serious symptoms such as persistent cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing, you should go to the hospital for treatment immediately.

6. Do a good job of disinfecting the air indoors and in closed spaces. At present, various respiratory infectious diseases are prevalent. Sterilizing the air can reduce respiratory diseases to the greatest extent. It is recommend that homes, closed spaces, confinement centers, offices and other places be equip with fast breathing air sterilizers to sterilize the air anytime and anywhere, and continuously reduce the concentration of various pathogens in the surrounding air.