Asuncion, IP Agency.- The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare reports that respiratory cases are on the rise and one of them is the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which constitutes a significant threat to the health of infants and young children, being the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in this population.
The season of greatest circulation of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) runs from autumn to spring, regarding 20 to 25 weeks a year, recurrently affecting children every year.
Currently in Paraguay, the preventive measure to reduce severe forms of respiratory infection in high-risk premature infants is immunization with the antibody palivizumab, which requires receiving between 3 and 5 doses, with intervals of 30 days, to ensure adequate protection, according to the recommendations of pediatric infectious disease specialist, Prof. Dr. Celia Martínez de Cuellar.
This highly contagious virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their eyes or nose.
She stressed the seriousness of the situation, since between 50 and 90% of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis in infants are related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and it is a very common disease in children under 2 years of age.
It is a very severe pathology, where sometimes children need to be hospitalized or admitted to intensive care units, which can even lead to death. For example, in 2023 in Paraguay, of all children hospitalized for bronchiolitis, 15% required admission to intensive care and of them, 8% died.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause mild to severe symptoms. Mild symptoms are similar to those of a common cold in most infants, including nasal congestion, cough, fever, and decreased appetite.
Severe symptoms can lead to lower respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia, which may require hospitalization.
The Ministry of Public Health also reports that almost 70% of infants will contract the Respiratory Syncytial Virus during their first year of life and 90% will do so before they turn two years old.
Although RSV bronchiolitis is usually a self-limiting illness, meaning it tends to get better on its own, it is difficult to predict which children will develop severe illness. In fact, 80% of children hospitalized with RSV are healthy and born full-term.
Precautionary measures
To reduce the risk of infection, it is important to take preventive measures and be alert to symptoms and warning signs. If an infant has difficulty breathing, wheezing, fever or signs of dehydration, it is necessary to seek medical attention immediately.
In this regard, they recommend washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially before touching the baby, and avoiding close contact between people with cold or fever symptoms and the child. It is also recommended not to send the baby to daycare if he or she has respiratory symptoms.
In addition to the use of a mask by the caregiver with a respiratory condition to prevent contagion through secretions and maintain exclusive breastfeeding in children under 6 months, due to its protective effect. Do not share cutlery or glasses, frequently clean toys, pacifiers and surfaces in contact with the baby.
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2024-07-20 05:01:58
