Chapter: Microbiology and Immunology: Virology, Virus: Paramyxoviruses

Treatment, Prevention and Control - Respiratory Syncytial Infections

Ribavirin, a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, has been recom-mended for the aerosolized treatment of children with severe RSV disease.

Treatment

Ribavirin, a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, has been recom-mended for the aerosolized treatment of children with severe RSV disease. This has shown beneficial effect by decreasing the duration of illness and decreasing the shedding of viruses in respiratory secretions.

Prevention and Control

Passive immunization with anti-RSV immunoglobulin has proved beneficial for use for prophylaxis in high-risk infants such as premature babies or babies with chronic lung dis-ease. The anti-RSV immunoglobulin is a pooled polyclonal human immunoglobulin product with high titers of RSV antibodies.

Attempts to use a vaccine against RSV have been proved unsuccessful to date. Previously, a formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine was used in children, but the children who received this vaccine developed more severe disease than those who were exposed to natural RSV infection; hence, this vaccine is no lon-ger used. Recently, a live attenuated RSV vaccine that can be used as nasal spray is under evaluation.

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Microbiology and Immunology: Virology, Virus: Paramyxoviruses : Treatment, Prevention and Control - Respiratory Syncytial Infections |