Recently, the Pediatric Department of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province (Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital) has many small patients with fever, cough, shortness of breath and wheezing. In particular, there are many small hairs for several months, and the cough and wheezing symptoms are particularly obvious.
As we all know, it is the outbreak period of influenza, in fact, another pathogen will also show a high incidence in this season, that is, "respiratory syncytial virus".
So what is respiratory syncytial virus?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a single-stranded antisense RNA virus belonging to the family Pneumoviridae. There are two subtypes, A and B, both of which occur simultaneously in most RSV outbreaks, and the disease caused by the A subtype is usually more severe, and different genotypes in these subtypes can lead to frequent re-infection of RSV. The incubation period for infection is 2-8 days, usually 4-6 days.
It usually causes seasonal outbreaks worldwide; in the Northern Hemisphere, outbreaks generally occur from October or November to April or May, with a peak in January or February; RSV can cause acute respiratory illness in people of all ages. Almost all children have been infected with RSV before the age of 2 years, and re-infection is more common; in infants under 1 year of age, RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections; and hospitalizations with severe pneumonia are hospitalized
How is respiratory syncytial virus transmitted?
The main mode of transmission of RSV is when the nasopharyngeal mucosa or ocular mucosa comes into contact with virus-containing secretions or contaminants. Direct contact is the most common route of transmission, while large droplet aerosols can also cause transmission. RSV can survive for hours on hands and contaminants. Therefore, handwashing and contact protection are important measures to prevent healthcare-related transmission. Studies have shown that infections in infants most often occur after infections in their brothers or sisters.
Almost all people have been infected with RSV before the age of 2, and even if the corresponding antibodies are available, they cannot prevent re-infection, but subsequent infections are usually mild whether they occur in the same epidemic season or in different years.
So what are the performances of children with RSV?
Infants and young children often have bronchiolitis or pneumonia. It can also cause apnea in infants.
Recurrent RSV infections are frequent in children and young adults, generally leading to upper respiratory tract symptoms. Manifestations include cough, nasal catarrha (upper respiratory tract symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion), and conjunctivitis. RSV is more likely to affect sinuses and ears than other respiratory viruses. However, some of them can cause pneumonia.
Diagnosis and treatment:
Thanks to the development of existing technology, to diagnose RSV infection now, you only need to do a throat swab like testing the new crown virus, which is very convenient and fast.
RSV infection is a self-limiting disease, there is no specific anti-RSV virus drug recommended by the conventional; if it is an upper respiratory tract infection, drink more water and rest, it is basically self-healing in about 3-5 days; while the lower respiratory tract infection is mainly supportive treatment, which includes frequent monitoring of the clinical status, as well as rehydration and respiratory support, and if other pathogens (such as bacteria, mycoplasma, etc.) are combined, the corresponding therapeutic drugs need to be used together.
So how can we prevent this virus?
●Wash your hands frequently in any place
●Take cough hygiene measures: Cover your mouth and nose with toilet paper when coughing or sneezing, or cover your mouth and nose with your arms bent
●Avoid exposure to tobacco or other smoke
● During the RSV epidemic season, try to avoid crowded, closed places
Contributed by: Wang Qi, Department of Pediatrics, Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province
Editor: Liu Yuchen
Image: From the Internet, intrusion and deletion