2023-05-08 17:10:37
The virus responsible for bronchiolitis in infants also takes its toll on the elderly, with consequences that are often serious but much less known, reports
The Parisian
. Each winter, bronchiolitis is in the spotlight: its symptoms in toddlers are impressive (cough and wheeze), although the episode is generally harmless. This year, the epidemic was of an unprecedented scale for more than ten years.
This infection of the small bronchi is most often caused by a virus called respiratory syncytial (RSV) which is very widespread and very contagious. What is much less known is that this virus also affects adults. Certainly, a healthy adult who contracts the virus has a good chance of developing a common infection that resembles a cold, or even of being asymptomatic. Therefore, many people carry the virus and are contagious without knowing it.
17,000 deaths per year
In an elderly person, the virus can lead to dehydration, breathing difficulties and more serious conditions, such as pneumonia. It can also aggravate chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease. And RSV might be just as serious as the flu virus. While there is surveillance in France for cases of bronchiolitis in children, there is no equivalent for
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