RSV

1 of 2

abbreviation or noun

ˌär-ˌes-ˈvē 

plural RSVs

: respiratory syncytial virus

Like many viruses, RSV is spread through contact with an infected person or contaminated objects.

—Nancy Snyderman

RSV, a common respiratory illness that can cause severe breathing problems for babies, has been spreading around the region and the country, and doctors are cautioning about the risks to young children.

—Josette Keelor

RSVs typically emerge in late fall and remain until early spring. However, signs of RSV outbreak began in the middle of April before exponentially increasing by early May.

—Winston Henvey

RSV

2 of 2

abbreviation

Revised Standard Version

Examples of RSV in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Abbreviation or noun

Most respiratory viruses, including Covid-19, flu and RSV, act through the indirect pathway, Roberts said, while enterovirus strains – related to the viruses that cause hand, foot and mouth disease – can directly infect the heart muscle. —Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025

The season when flu (influenza), RSV, COVID-19 and other common respiratory illnesses spread further has arrived with the cooler weather. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025

Health officials recommend seasonal vaccines for flu, COVID-19 and RSV as respiratory virus activity increases. —Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Additionally, pregnant women are recommended to receive a maternal RSV during 32 through 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect against RSV and pass on antibodies to their baby, which can protect for up to six months after birth. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Abbreviation Or Noun

1961, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

RSV

1 of 2 abbreviation or noun

ˌär-ˌes-ˈvē 

: respiratory syncytial virus

Long considered primarily a pathogen of young children, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been recognized as a cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in adults.

—Harvey B. Simon, Science & Medicine

However, upper respiratory tract infections caused by RSV tend to last longer than those caused by other common respiratory agents …

—Caroline Breese, The New England Journal of Medicine

RSV

2 of 2 abbreviation

Rous sarcoma virus