RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)

RSV is a common respiratory illness that causes lung and respiratory tract infections. Symptoms are similar to a cold and tend to get better on their own after 10 days. In some cases RSV can cause more serious complications.

On this page

How RSV spreads

RSV spreads easily from person to person through touch and through droplets in the air. This includes:

  • direct contact with people who have RSV
  • contact with surfaces that have the RSV virus on them
  • coughing
  • sneezing
  • talking.

Tamariki often catch RSV at school or daycare. Almost all tamariki get an RSV infection by the time they are 2 years old.

RSV can affect all ages and outbreaks are common in the winter months and into spring.

Symptoms of RSV

In most cases RSV symptoms are similar to a cold, such as:

  • a runny nose
  • coughing or sneezing
  • fever
  • sore throat
  • feeling tired (fatigue).

Pēpi might have symptoms that are not as noticeable — such as being irritable or not as active as usual.

You can have RSV more than once, but symptoms are usually milder after the first time.

Complications of RSV

Most people take about 10 days to recover and symptoms generally get better on their own. But RSV can cause complications for:

  • very young children and premature babies
  • older people
  • people with compromised immune systems
  • people with heart or lung conditions.

In more serious cases RSV can cause: 

  • wheezing and difficulty breathing
  • difficulty feeding (in babies) or loss of appetite
  • confusion (in older adults).

This may be due to:

  • inflammation of the small breathing tubes of the lung (bronchiolitis)
  • infection of the lung (pneumonia).

When to get immediate medical attention

Shortness of breath or rapid breathing could be a sign of pneumonia or bronchiolitis and requires immediate medical attention.

Call 111 and ask for an ambulance if your pēpi, or other whānau member:

  • has blue lips and tongue
  • has severe difficulty breathing
  • is becoming very sleepy and not easy to wake up
  • is very pale
  • is floppy
  • has breathing that is not regular, or pauses in breathing.

Some people may need to be admitted to hospital to be given additional oxygen to help with breathing. Pēpi may need support to feed.

Diagnosing RSV

Healthcare providers do not usually test for RSV. They usually diagnose you based on your symptoms.

Your healthcare provider might do a physical exam and listen to your lungs to look for signs and symptoms of RSV. They might order tests if they think you have other conditions that may cause similar symptoms.

The role of public health

RSV and other flu-like illnesses are not notifiable. This means public health does not need to be informed about individual cases.

Contact your local public health service if you manage an early learning service, school or aged residential care facility and there are increasing numbers of cases in your organisation.

Public health contacts — Health New Zealand (external link)

Treating RSV

There is no specific treatment for RSV infection, but most people get better on their own in about 10 days. RSV is a viral infection so antibiotics do not work. 

Open all

If you are unwell, stay and home and rest in a separate, well-ventilated room away from other people if you can.

Drink small amounts of fluid often.

You can also take appropriate medicines to relieve discomfort and fever if you need to.

If your pēpi or tamariki is sick, keep them at home until they no longer have symptoms.

  • Pēpi with RSV may not be able to feed for as long as usual — offer smaller feeds more often.
  • Give your tamariki as much rest as possible.
  • Do not smoke in the house or around your tamariki.
  • Keep your baby’s nose clear — if it is blocked or crusty you can use saline nose drops — you can get these from a pharmacy.
  • If your tamariki is miserable and upset, you can give paracetamol. Follow the dosage instructions on the bottle — it is dangerous to give more than the recommended dose.

Remember to put your pēpi to sleep on their back and do not prop them up with pillows or blankets.

Preventing RSV

There is no RSV vaccine available in Aotearoa for tamariki. Some immunity to RSV develops over the first couple of years of life, but you are never completely protected against RSV. 

A medicine called palivizumab is available for some infants and children who are at high risk of severe illness. Palivizumab is given by injections repeated once a month during the RSV season. Your healthcare provider will let you know if your child is eligible.

There is an RSV vaccine called Arexvy available in Aotearoa that is targeted at those aged 60 years and older.

Reducing the risk to others

People are usually infectious for 10 days after symptoms have started.

RSV spreads through the air by infected people when they sneeze or cough.

  • If you or your tamariki are sick, you should stay home from work and keep tamariki home from school and early childhood education centres until symptoms have passed. 
  • Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Use tissues and throw them away or cough or sneeze into your elbow — not your hands.
  • Always wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.