Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection An Illness for All Ages

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the single most important cause of severe respiratory infection in very young infants. It has also been recently recognized as a significant cause of severe illness in elderly adults, those with underlying cardiopulmonary disease, and the immunocompromised. RSV is suspected of playing a major role in the development of asthma. Prophylaxis in high-risk infants using a monoclonal antibody is the only effective specific therapy available but recent breakthroughs in vaccine design and antiviral drugs offer the promise of effective prophylactic and therapeutic agents against RSV.