As winter rolls on in Australia, respiratory viruses are everywhere. One of the main culprits is respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which has caused more than 145,000 infections around the country so far this year. Most are in children under five.
RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia (both chest infections ) in young children. Each year, at least 1 in 200 children under 5 are hospitalized with RSV in Australia. Babies under 6 months , and especially under 3 months, are at highest risk.
RSV infects the airways and lungs , making airway mucus very sticky. Young babies may develop a cough, a wheeze, difficulty breathing and poor feeding. Research indicates severe RSV infection in infancy may also increase the risk of children developing asthma .
So, what is the evidence linking RSV with asthma? And why might this association exist? Association or causation? Asthma is a chronic lung condition which affects 11% of Australians . People with asthma often have difficulty breathing, and experience coughing and wheezing. This is due to their airways becoming narrower temporarily, usually because of triggers (for example, viral infections, dust or pollen).
Asthma often starts as wheezing at preschool age. But in some people, it starts in adulthood. When we talk about RSV and asthma it's important to consider the differences between association and causation.
An association exists when two events commonly occur together (for example, smoking and drinking coffee), whe.