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A MINUTE OF HEALTH WITH CDC
RSV Prevention
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity — United States, July 2007–November 2008
December 31, 2008

This program is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC — safer, healthier people.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common cause of respiratory illness in children and adults. In most people, RSV causes cold-like symptoms, including runny nose, cough, and sometimes fever. In infants and older adults, the infection can progress and cause difficulty breathing. Each year, up to 125,000 infants less than a year old are hospitalized with RSV. Typically, RSV season runs from late fall to early spring. There is no vaccine for RSV, but there is a drug given as monthly injections that can help prevent serious RSV disease in some high-risk infants.

Thank you for joining us on A Minute of Health with CDC.

For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.