Diseases A-Z

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

The RSV season has not yet officially begun in Oregon. Surveillance for the 2009-10 season began the week of September 27-October 3. 

More information will soon be is available under the surveillance data section on this page.

On this page:

• General information
• Reporting
• Oregon and Southwest Washington Surveillance
• Useful Links

General Information:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of severe lower respiratory infection among infants and young children.  Symptoms of illness include fever, runny nose, cough and wheezing.  When children are first infected with RSV, 25-40% of them will have symptoms of bronchiolitis or pneumonia and up to 2% of children will require hospitalization. Persons at increased risk for severe disease or death include premature infants, older adults, and persons of any age with compromised respiratory, cardiac, or immune systems.

No vaccine or effective therapy is available for RSV. Infants and children at risk for severe RSV infection can receive immune prophylaxis with monthly doses of a humanized murine anti-RSV monoclonal antibody during the RSV season.

Reporting:

Oregon and Southwest Washington RSV Surveillance

Test results reported via this surveillance project are based upon active surveillance of sixteen laboratories reporting on a voluntary basis.  Data is reported as it is received from the participating laboratories, and thus participating laboratories are relied upon for data integrity.  Reports may be based upon rapid tests, DFA, cultures and other test types; the test methods vary from laboratory to laboratory.  The total number of tests may not reflect the total number of patients tested.

Surveillance begins the first week of October of each year and continues until RSV activity has dissipated. As defined by CDC, the RSV national and regional season onset is determined by the first of 2 consecutive weeks during which the median percentage of specimens testing positive for RSV antigen is >10%. The RSV season offset is the last of 2 consecutive weeks during which the median percentage of positive specimens is >10%.

If your lab would like to begin reporting for this surveillance system, please contact Erin Masterson at 971-673-0141 for more information.

Surveillance Data 

2009-2010 RSV Season:

• Oregon and SW Washington RSV Percent Positive by Week (pdf)
• RSV Percent Positive by Region (pdf)

Past Seasons by Region:

• 2004-09 NW Oregon and SW Washington (pdf) 
• 2004-09 Central Oregon (pdf) 
• 2004-09 Columbia Gorge and NE Oregon (pdf) 
• 2004-09: Southern Oregon (pdf)

Links 

RSV Fact Sheet (CDC)

The National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (CDC)

RSV prophylaxis guidelines (American Academy of Pediatrics)