RSV Symptoms

A person's RSV symptoms will vary, depending on his or her age. For infants, illness begins most frequently with symptoms that include fever, runny nose, cough, and wheezing. In adults, symptoms are similar to those of the common cold, including runny nose, sore throat, cough, body aches, and other symptoms. Severe symptoms are more common in elderly people and people who take drugs that suppress the immune system.

RSV Disease

An Overview of RSV Signs and Symptoms

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes respiratory infections. It is very contagious, and it is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the bronchioles within the lungs) and pneumonia among infants and children under one year of age. When a person is infected with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the symptoms can vary.

Symptoms in Infants

For infants, illness begins most frequently with symptoms that include:

Fever
Runny nose
Cough
Wheezing.

During their first RSV infection, between 25 percent and 40 percent of infants and young children have signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) or pneumonia, and 0.5 percent to 2 percent require hospitalization. The majority of children hospitalized for an RSV infection are under six months of age. Most children recover from RSV in 8 to 15 days.

Symptoms in Adults

RSV can cause repeated infections throughout life. In adults, symptoms of RSV are similar to those of the common cold, including:

Runny nose
Sore throat
Cough
Body aches
Headache
Fever.

(RSV Symptoms Continued: Page 2)