These detailed lecture notes on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) provide a deep dive into one of the most common viral pathogens affecting the respiratory system.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
28 December 2020 14:50
Facts about RSV:
• Incidence ~33million worldwide in children under 5 years of age
• 10% require hospital admission and about 200,000 die annually
• Discovered in 1956
• Causes acute disease and can lead to longer term respiratory conditions (asthma)
• Seasonal nature:
– Temperature zones: late autumn, winter, spring
– Tropical and Arctic: all year around
– Europe: predominantly a disease of winter
RSV virion:
Genomic Structure:
• Enveloped virus - member of genus Pneumovirus
• Negative sense, single stranded, non-segmented RNA genome (compare 'flu')
• Two subgroups (A and B)
• Surface proteins G (attachment) and F (fusion)
• Most genetic variation located in the G protein
Pathogenesis:
• Initial infection through contact of particles with nose or eyes
• Incubation period 2-8days
• RSV can survive in the environment for long periods
• Initial infection of epithelial cells or upper and lower respiratory tract
• Infections result in extensive inflammation with monocyte and T-cell infiltration and death of
epithelial cells and overproduction of mucus and sometimes syncytial formation
• Environmental factors important - smoke, pollution, crowding
• High levels of replication (virus load) associated with more symptoms
• Risk factor for severe infection include premature birth and co-morbidities (cardiac and
respiratory disease) and maybe genetic predisposition affecting T-cell responses.
• Young individuals are at risk if they have respiratory or cardiac diseases
Clinical features:
• Initial exposure 6 weeks - 9 months of age, RSV causes mild (or asymptomatic) upper
respiratory tract infection
• In 25-40% also involves lower respiratory tract
• In most cases recovery occurs 7-12 days after initial illness
• In more severe cases coughing and wheezing progress leading to respiratory failure requiring
hospital admission
• In infants with underlying cardiac or respiratory disease progression can be rapid and fatal
• Acute RSV infections are common in normal adults characterised by rhinorrhoea, pharyngitis,
cough and fever
• In adults disease lasts around 5 days
• In older patients, especially with underlying disease, infections may be more severe
Respiratory Syncytial virus Page 1
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Lakuscholars. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.16. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
