Hospitals report increase in children diagnosed with flu, RSV

DETROIT – Confirmed cases of the flu in Metro Detroit are on the rise, but doctors say there’s another virus hitting particularly hard in young children.

Children’s Hospital of Michigan reports an influx of children suffering from respiratory viruses. Among the most concerning are Influenza B and Influenza A and an illness called Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV), which is especially dangerous for children under age 2.

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Symptoms of RSV

Symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In very young infants the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity and breathing difficulties.

• Runny nose
• Decrease in appetite
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Wheezing

RSV can cause more severe infections such as bronchiolitis. The CDC reports that almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday. People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days of getting infected.

Click here to learn more about RSV.