respiratory syncytial virus

noun

plural respiratory syncytial viruses

Definition of respiratory syncytial virus

: a pneumovirus (species Human orthopneumovirus of the genus Orthopneumovirus) that usually causes mild infections of the upper respiratory tract but may progress to bronchiolitis and pneumonia especially in infants Respiratory syncytial virus causes colds in older children and adults, but in infants it can develop into bronchiolitis, a dangerous, even life-threatening, lower-respiratory infection.— Perri Klass

Note: Respiratory syncytial virus was initially identified in 1956 and was formerly classified as a paramyxovirus.

—abbreviation RSV

Examples of respiratory syncytial virus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other viruses detected include enterovirus/rhinovirus (four positive of eight cases tested), metapneumovirus (one of eight), respiratory syncytial virus (one of eight), and human coronavirus OC43 (one of eight). — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 29 Apr. 2022 Seasonal spread of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is rising unusually early and quickly this year, pediatric hospitals have reported. — Bonnie Kristian, The Week, 19 Aug. 2021 In recent years, the U.S. has accepted as many as 35,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths per week from influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) alone. — Céline Gounder, STAT, 24 Jan. 2022 Texas Children’s Hospital was also the first children’s hospital in the U.S. to report a co-infection of COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, in the summer. — Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2022 Other coronaviruses that cause the common cold are more prevalent in the winter, as are other respiratory viruses like RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza. — Katia Hetter, CNN, 8 Apr. 2022 That’s on top of the many, many other microbes that may pile into our airways during the chilly winter months—respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, other coronaviruses, and a glut of different bacteria, just to name a few. — Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2022 Evidence from other respiratory diseases backs this up; breastfed babies have a lower risk of catching either the flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). — Fortune, 20 Jan. 2022 Also, levels of RSV — respiratory syncytial virus — have been unusually high since summer. — Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 29 Oct. 2021 See More

These 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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Last Updated

11 May 2022

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“Respiratory syncytial virus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respiratory%20syncytial%20virus. Accessed 19 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for respiratory syncytial virus

respiratory syncytial virus

noun

Medical Definition of respiratory syncytial virus

: a pneumovirus (species Human orthopneumovirus of the genus Orthopneumovirus) that usually causes mild infections of the upper respiratory tract but may progress to bronchiolitis and pneumonia especially in infants Respiratory syncytial virus is the most important respiratory pathogen causing lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children.— David W. Smith et al., The New England Journal of Medicine

Note: Respiratory syncytial virus was initially identified in 1956 and was formerly classified as a paramyxovirus. Cells infected with the virus typically fuse with adjacent cells to form multinucleate syncytia.

—abbreviation RSV