Belize Records RSV Cases

Then there are confirmed cases of Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, which is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States. Director of Health Services Dr Melissa Diaz updated the media.

Dr.Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Public Health: “We have been working with Baylor University for some time with the acute fibril illness study and we have had RSV in country. We haven’t seen significant hospitalizations or any respiratory viruses at this point but we do know that children have tested positive for RSV. So RSV is Respiratory syncytial virus and it tends to cause worsened disease in younger children. For many adults it would usually present with flu like symptoms or with a cough and cold but for younger kids it can also lead to hospitalization and lead to pneumonias as well but again that’s transmitted just the same as the other respiratory viruses so keeping your hands clean and protecting each other that’s public health measures that the best way to go to reduce these types of viruses from spreading.”