RSV

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Parents: Tips for helping kids who come down with respiratory viruses

By | December 27th, 2022|Preparedness|

People of all ages get sick with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID-19, but dealing with these diseases can be especially trying for parents of young children.  Fortunately, in most cases these viruses cause mild illness that can be treated at home by managing fever and pain and drinking lots of clear fluids. In [...]

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Watch young children for signs of RSV

By | November 4th, 2022|Preparedness|

This time of the year, many adults and children catch the common cold. Sometimes, what looks like a cold can actually be RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Many people recover quickly from RSV in a week or two, but it can be potentially more serious for others such as infants and elderly individuals. Arizona is [...]

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Respiratory diseases heating up as the weather cools down

By | October 21st, 2022|Preparedness|

The weather may be cooling down, but respiratory diseases are beginning to heat up in Arizona. Common cold-causing viruses such as rhinovirus and enterovirus are circulating at this time throughout the U.S.  The 2022-2023 influenza season recently began Oct. 2, but we’re already seeing a higher rate of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity [...]

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Arizona Public Health System Preparing to Respond to Additional Cases of COVID-19

By | February 27th, 2020|Preparedness|

The Arizona Department of Health Services has been closely monitoring COVID-19 on an international, national, and local level. Mitigating the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that can cause symptoms ranging from mild cold-like illness to severe pneumonia, is a high priority. While only one case has been reported in Arizona [...]

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Influenza Season Officially Arrives

By | January 3rd, 2014|Preparedness|

Flu season is here!  Parts of the country (mostly in the south) have had more intense flu activity in the last few weeks, and 25 states reported widespread flu activity for the week ending December 28th.   Meanwhile, in Arizona we are seeing an increase in the number of lab-confirmed flu cases reported to ADHS- but [...]

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RSV on the Upswing in AZ

By | December 12th, 2012|Preparedness, Prevention|

We're off to an early start with the flu and RSV season this year with more cases reported in November than in previous seasons. Respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV) is a respiratory virus that mainly affects little kids and circulates during the winter. There’s no vaccine for RSV- but for those babies that are at highest [...]

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RSV Ramping Up in AZ

By | November 28th, 2011|General|

Respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV) is a respiratory virus that mainly affects little kids- and circulates around this time of year. There’s no vaccine- but clinicians can give a preventive antibody treatment to folks at greatest risk (e.g. premature infants).   It spreads mostly in the winter (like influenza) but flu and RSV don’t usually peak at [...]

Another Tool for our Laboratory Toolbox

By | August 9th, 2011|Preparedness|

New testing equipment at the state lab is going to help us with flu tracking this fall and dramatically speed up testing for Tuberculosis.  The instrument called the Gene Xpert looks for DNA mutations – we can tell if a TB case is resistant to certain antibiotics.  For instance, on specific mutation is a marker for rifampin [...]

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What’s Respiratory Syncytial Virus?

By | January 13th, 2011|Preparedness|

Respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV) is another respiratory infection that mainly affects little kids and circulates every year.  It occurs in the winter, like flu, but flu and RSV usually don’t peak at the same time.  Since our flu season is early this year, it looks like our RSV season may be a little later [...]

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