Library · Microorganism
Respiratory syncytial virus
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Respiratory syncytial virus, abbreviated RSV, is a common respiratory virus, and worldwide it is the leading cause of acute respiratory infection that puts children in the hospital.
Its F protein is what fuses the infected cell with the ones next to it. That fusion creates syncytia: multinucleated cells, meaning cells with several nuclei, formed by several cells joined into one. That is how the virus spreads so easily. It is a fire that spreads inside the wall, not by jumping from house to house.
It usually starts as an infection of the upper airway, the nose and the throat, and in infants it often progresses to bronchiolitis, which is obstruction of the small airways, the narrowest tubes in the lung.
In brief
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common virus and the leading cause worldwide of acute respiratory infection requiring hospitalization in children.
Its F protein fuses the infected cell with neighboring cells, creating multinucleated syncytia, cells with several nuclei, that help the virus spread.
It is a fire that spreads inside the wall, not by jumping from house to house.
It usually presents as an upper respiratory infection, and in infants it often progresses to bronchiolitis, with obstruction of the small airways.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineRespiratory Syncytial Virus Infections, MedlinePlusPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingRespiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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