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

Moderna, founded 2010, reported that the company has returned to profit in a May financial update as four of its products are now commercially approved, including its two different COVID vaccines, its COVID plus flu combination vaccine, and its RSV vaccine. —Charlotte Hu, Time, 12 May 2026

Federal officials then reduced the number of vaccines recommended for children, no longer broadly recommending flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

In the past, the hospital might have been at capacity a few weeks at a time, perhaps because of a surge in flu or RSV cases. —Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026

The change dropped recommendations that all babies should be protected against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, dengue and two types of bacterial meningitis. —Erika Edwards, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026

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