Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : May 21, 2022 9:41 AM IST
More than 100,000 children under five years old died in 2019 worldwide due to acute lower respiratory infection caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), according to a study published in The Lancet.
One in five of the total global cases of RSV occurred in infants under six months old. There were over 45,000 deaths in this age group in 2019, the study reported.
Considered a major paediatric respiratory virus, RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It leads to hospitalisation of about three million children under age 5 each year worldwide.
Harish Nair, from the University of Edinburgh, and co-author of the paper, noted that RSV is the predominant cause of acute lower respiratory infection in young children, and children six months and younger are particularly vulnerable to it.
According to him, RSV cases in younger children are surging as Covid-19 restrictions are easing around the world. This is because majority of the young children born in the last 2 years have no immunity against RSV as they have never been exposed to this virus.
In 2019, there were 33 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes in children under five years old across the globe, reported the Lancet study.
In the same year, the infection led to 3.6 million hospital admissions, 26,300 in-hospital deaths and 101,400 RSV-attributable deaths overall (including community deaths), accounting for 2 per cent of annual deaths from any cause in this age range.
Of the total RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes reported globally in 2019, as many as 6.6 million cases were seen in infants under six months old. There were 1.4 million hospital admissions, 13,300 hospital deaths and 45,700 overall deaths attributable to RSV in this age range, accounting for 2.1 per cent of annual deaths from any cause, the study revealed.
Sadly, the study estimates revealed that globally only 26 per cent, or approximately one in four RSV-associated deaths occur in a hospital. Overall, 97 per cent of RSV deaths in children under five occurred in low- and middle-income countries, where the in-hospital case-to-fatality ratio for children under five is 1.4 per cent, compared to 0.1 per cent in high income countries, the report said.
Respiratory syncytial virus is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. While most people infected with the virus recover in a week or two, it can be serious for infants and older adults.
According to the US CDC, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States.
Symptoms of RSV infection usually appear within 4 to 6 days after getting infected with the virus. People infected with RSV usually experience
Typically, all these symptoms do not appear at once, but in stages. In young infants, RSV infection may cause irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties.
RSV infection is a common infection and almost all children will have had it by their second birthday, the CDC said.
Unfortunately, there is still no specific treatment for RSV infection. Research is on to develop vaccines and antivirals that fight viruses. Over-the-counter, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may be used to manage fever and pain, but never give aspirin to children.
The CDC also cautioned that parents should not give nonprescription cold medicines to their children without consulting a doctor as some medicines contain ingredients that are not good for children. The health agency suggests drinking enough fluids when you have RSV infection to prevent dehydration.
