RSV
1 of 2abbreviation or noun
plural RSVs
: respiratory syncytial virus
Like many viruses, RSV is spread through contact with an infected person or contaminated objects.—
Nancy Snyderman
Nancy SnydermanRSV, 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
Josette KeelorRSVs 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
Winston HenveyExamples of RSV in a Sentence
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Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Some seemed not to take seriously the risk that infections like RSV and the flu can pose to even healthy children.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 5 July 2025
But the difference is RSV’s affinity for the chest.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 4 July 2025
The vaccine committee voted 5-2 to recommend Merck’s new prophylactic antibody for infants with RSV.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
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Abbreviation or noun
In testing on human cells in the laboratory, compounds successfully fought off RSV, herpes and Zika infections–meaning that they could potentially be used to fight off multiple viruses the way antibiotics can be used to fight multiple bacteria.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Some seemed not to take seriously the risk that infections like RSV and the flu can pose to even healthy children.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 5 July 2025
But the difference is RSV’s affinity for the chest.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 4 July 2025
The vaccine committee voted 5-2 to recommend Merck’s new prophylactic antibody for infants with RSV.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for RSV
Cite this Entry
“RSV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/RSV. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
RSV
1 of 2 abbreviation or noun
: 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
Harvey B. Simon, Science & MedicineHowever, 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
Caroline Breese, The New England Journal of MedicineRSV
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