Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Season, U.S., 2010-2011
Knowledge of the RSV season can help prevent its spread and protect persons at high risk for serious illness.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease among infants and young children worldwide. Currently there is no effective vaccine against RSV; however, palivizumab (say "pah-lih-VIH-zu-mahb"), a medication that contains virus-fighting antibodies to RSV, can help prevent severe RSV disease, such as pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) or bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs) in high-risk infants or young children. Since these antibodies are given to protect high-risk infants or young children only during yearly RSV outbreaks in their community, monitoring patterns of outbreaks has helped physicians determine when palivizumab should be given.
Outbreaks of RSV occur in communities each year, usually lasting 4-5 months during the fall, winter, and/or spring months. However, the exact timing of the RSV season can vary by region, as shown in the chart at the right, laboratory data from the United States National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS)1. Of the 10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regions (listed by region number and headquarter city) 2 and Florida, the 2010–11 RSV season3 started and ended the earliest in Florida (mid September to mid March). Florida also had the longest RSV season (27 weeks). The start date of the RSV season in the other regions ranged from mid November to early January, and the end date ranged from mid March to late April.
Within a region, the timing of the RSV season can change from year to year. Compared with 20094, the season started later in 2010 in several regions and Florida. The table below compares the start dates of the RSV season in 2009 and 2010. The regions and states are listed in order from the earliest to latest RSV season start date.
HHS Region (headquarter city) or State2 | States Included in Region | Start of RSV Season | |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | 2010 | ||
Florida | FL | Mid July | Mid September |
Region 4 (Atlanta) | AL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN | Late October | Mid November |
Region 6 (Dallas) | AR, LA, NM, OK, TX | Mid November | Late November |
Region 3 (Philadelphia) | DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV | Mid November | Late November |
Region 5 (Chicago) | IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI | Early December | Mid December |
Region 1 (Boston) | CT, ME, MA, NH, RI | Mid December | Mid December |
Region 8 (Denver) | CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY | Mid December | Early January |
Region 9 (San Francisco) | AZ, CA, HI, NV | Late December | Late November |
Region 10 (Seattle) | AK, ID, OR, WA | Late December | Mid December |
Region 7 (Kansas City) | IA, KS, MO, NE | Early January | Early January |
Source:
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Respiratory Syncytial Virus – United States, July 2007--June 2011. MMWR. 9 Sept 2011. 57
References:
- These analyses include data from laboratories shared to NREVSS by SDI, a company conducting RSV surveillance with support from MedImmune, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD). CDC does not make recommendations regarding the administration of RSV immune prophylaxis. For additional information, contact NREVSS by email: mailto:nrvess@cdc.gov.
- HHS region (headquarter city): Region 1 (Boston): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont;Region 2 (New York City): New Jersey and New York;Region 3 (Philadelphia): Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia;Region 4 (Atlanta): Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee (data from Florida excluded); Region 5 (Chicago): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin; Region 6 (Dallas): Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas; Region 7 (Kansas City): Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska;Region 8 (Denver): Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming; Region 9 (San Francisco): Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada;Region 10 (Seattle): Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. See http://www.hhs.gov/about/regionmap.html Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia did not have any participating laboratories in the 2010–11 season analysis.
- As defined by NREVSS, the RSV season starts when the first of two consecutive weeks during which the mean percentage of specimens testing positive for RSV antigen is ≥10%. The RSV season ends when the last 2 consecutive weeks during which the mean percentage of positive specimens is ≥10%.
- Unpublished data.
More Information
- CDC Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
- RSV Surveillance (seasonal and geographic patterns of RSV), The National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS)
- RSV: A Respiratory Virus in Young and Old [PODCAST - 4:37 minutes]
CDC works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people from health threats to have a more secure nation. A US federal agency, CDC helps make the healthy choice the easy choice by putting science and prevention into action. CDC works to help people live longer, healthier and more productive lives.
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - cdcinfo@cdc.gov