Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Virus puts children in danger

Complications from highly contagious disease include pneumonia, even death

Chaya Harlig holds her children, Mushky, 4, and Binie, 8 months, as pediatrician Kenneth Misch examines the girls for respiratory syncytial virus. The virus, which is potentially fatal in babies, infected at least 365 area children last month. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Hundreds of Las Vegas children are getting sick each month from a virus that is hospitalizing more babies than any other disease.

The highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV, causes a mild cold in adults but can kill babies and young children.

The virus infected at least 365 area children last month, according to Clark County Health District statistics. Pediatricians say the virus currently is the No. 1 cause of pediatric hospitalizations, and they are urging parents to be aware of the disease's serious complications, including lung problems, wheezing and breathing difficulties.

"It can be very hard for families to understand that this simple virus that causes a cold can kill, but it certainly can," said Dr. Meena Vohra, director of pediatric critical care at University Medical Center. "Our unit hasn't had a fatality this year; but in past years, we've always had a few kids die of horrible lung disease secondary to RSV."

The respiratory virus can cause severe breathing problems and pneumonia. Like a cold, it spreads easily through close contact with an infected person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There is no cure for the disease, but most children recover from the malady within 8 to 15 days.

"It runs rampant here and is a year-round problem," said perinatologist Brian Iriye. "My child was hospitalized at 2 months with RSV, and he was a big, strapping boy."

RSV can cause the most severe complications in premature infants and babies with lung disease.

Older children often only get a cold from RSV, but they can bring the virus home and infect younger siblings, who are more susceptible to severe complications. Parents can infect their children as well.

The virus can infect children and adults just about anywhere, but it is most rampant in schools, day care centers and other places where children congregate, pediatrician Kenneth Misch said.

"RSV is everywhere, so avoidance really isn't practical," Misch said. "We know it's RSV season because our office is really backed up. It's only 11, and I've already seen six kids with it."

Both Misch and Vohra say it's important for adults and children to wash their hands before handling babies, especially if they have been out of the house.

"Things like grocery shopping carts are just full of germs," Vohra said. "Just washing your hands can cut down on the spread of RSV by 50 percent. Make it a point to wash your hands frequently and keep newborn babies away from crowds."

Because an RSV outbreak can be devastating to infants in neonatal intensive care units, those babies usually are given monthly antibody injections to help combat the virus, said Dr. John Kurlinski, a neonatologist at Sunrise Children's Hospital. Other high risk babies can receive the injections as well, often until they are over a year old.

"Serious consequences and death from RSV can be minimized with these injections," Kurlinski said. "We get our ICU infants started with them, and then parents continue with the shots in their pediatrician offices."

The injections are too costly to recommend for all children, but a cheaper vaccine is being developed, according to the CDC. The shots cost between $300 and $500 an injection.

Symptoms of RSV include fever, chills, headache, fatigue and loss of appetite. Babies and children can also have severe wheezing, coughing and breathing difficulties.