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Definition of respiratory syncytial virus
: a paramyxovirus (species Human respiratory syncytial virus of the genus Pneumovirus) that is responsible for severe respiratory diseases (such as bronchopneumonia and bronchiolitis) in children and especially in infants
—abbreviation RSV
Examples of respiratory syncytial virus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Synagis is a monthly injection given between November and April to infants at high risk for RSV or respiratory syncytial virus.
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Stephanie Innes, azcentral, "Hacienda HealthCare closing its vaccine clinics for high-risk babies," 27 Nov. 2019 Louisville has seen a significant jump this year in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a virus that can be dangerous in young children.
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Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville hospitals seeing increase in dangerous respiratory virus in children," 22 Nov. 2019 One target is the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the number one cause of hospitalizations for babies in the US.
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BostonGlobe.com, "1. Reconnecting ACL tears," 28 Sep. 2019 Synagis is a monthly injection given between November and April to infants at high risk for RSV or respiratory syncytial virus.
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Stephanie Innes, azcentral, "Hacienda HealthCare operated infant vaccine clinics without required license," 2 July 2019 As with a mild cold or flu, respiratory syncytial virus symptoms usually include a runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and wheezing, the CDC says.
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Korin Miller, SELF, "Respiratory Syncytial Virus Is the Flu-Like Illness You Haven't Heard About," 3 Jan. 2019 Asthma treatment was also more likely to fail among children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to the study.
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Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, "Flu shots go a long way to keep kids with asthma out of the emergency room, study says," 4 June 2018 Last year, a few students showed up with flu but more had other viruses that cause similar symptoms, such as coronaviruses and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.
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NBC News, "Sneeze machine study takes a deep dive into how flu spreads," 13 Feb. 2018 Lung infections in kids and elderly Many hospitals are also reporting an increase in patients with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.
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Soumya Karlamangla, latimes.com, "Flu deaths reach a high, but outbreak shows signs of easing," 9 Feb. 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'respiratory syncytial virus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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The first known use of respiratory syncytial virus was in 1961
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