Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat, lungs, and breathing passages. It typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can be serious, especially for infants, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems

. RSV is highly contagious and spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth

. It is so common that almost all children have been infected by age 2

. While most healthy individuals experience mild illness, RSV can cause severe respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis (inflammation of small airways) and pneumonia, particularly in infants under 1 year old and older adults. Severe cases may require hospitalization, oxygen therapy, or mechanical ventilation

. RSV infection is seasonal, typically peaking in fall and winter months

. Prevention includes good hand hygiene, avoiding close contact with infected individuals, and vaccination or monoclonal antibody treatments for high-risk groups

. In summary, RSV is a widespread respiratory virus that usually causes mild symptoms but can lead to serious illness in vulnerable populations, especially infants and the elderly