(NAPSA)—With cough andcold season back in swing, parents with infants and small children should be on the lookout for a common virus that may lead to potentially serious complications—RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). Nearly half of all children are infected during their first year of life, and almost all children get an RSV infection by the age of 2. According to the American Academyof Pediatrics, RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among children under 2 years old. Recent studies suggest that there is an association between RSV-induced bronchiolitis and asthma within the first decadeoflife. RSV is a virus that causes acute respiratory illness in pa- tients of all ages. While symptoms usually resemble the commoncold and are fought off in a matter of days, cold-like symptoms accompanied by wheezingor difficulty breathing may be indicative of RSV. Among those at greatest risk from RSV are babies born prematurely, as well as children with lung or heart disease. Infants who attend child care or day care, and those with school-age siblings, also have an increased risk for RSV infections. RSV is highly contagious. It can be spread when a person coughs or sneezes, and it can live on surfaces such as toys, countertops or doorknobs, and on hands and clothing. A diagnostic test for RSV can help children get proper medical attention quickly. It is important for RSV to be diagnosed—and distinguished from other, similar illnesses with similar symptoms—so that proper medical attention can be administered to minimize infection and risk to the patient. Health care professionals recognize the benefits of utilizing rapid RSV tests to aid clinical diagnosis and management of patient care. The QuickVue RSV test allows for the rapid detection of RSV. The test is intended for use as an aid in the rapid diagnosis of acute RSV viral infections. The test is both accurate and gives results in 15 minutes during the same office visit. It is manufactured by the makers of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test. For more information, visit www.rsvtesting.com.
