RSV is increasing among young infants in the Southeast of the US, according to the CDC

The Habitats for Infectious prevention and Avoidance cautioned for the current week that instances of respiratory syncytial infection, or RSV, are ascending among small kids in certain pieces of the Southeastern US.

Similar to the flu and other respiratory viruses, RSV season typically begins in the fall and continues into the winter. However, RSV infections are significantly higher than usual this time of year, particularly in Florida and Georgia.

In a health advisory, the CDC stated that the three-week average of PCR test positivity for RSV in Florida has been above 5%, exceeding the threshold of 3% typically observed at the beginning of the RSV season.

According to the CDC, the rate of RSV-related hospitalizations among children under the age of 4 in Georgia increased from 2.0 per 100,000 for the week ending August 5 to 7.0 per 100,000 for the week ending August 19. Additionally, the majority of those hospitalizations involved children under the age of one year.

“Historically, such regional increases have predicted the beginning of RSV season nationally, with increased RSV activity spreading north and west over the following 2-3 months,” the agency wrote in its advisory.

The CDC said that because RSV can be especially dangerous for babies, young children, and older adults, it wants clinicians and caregivers to be aware of it.

RSV also showed up earlier than usual last year, peaking in October and then decreasing in November. Experts told ABC News at the time that this might have happened because children were born during the pandemic or because they were not exposed to potential infections between 2020 and 2022 due to lockdowns.

According to the CDC, RSV symptoms include fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and a decrease in appetite and typically appear in stages four to six days after infection.

An expected 58,000 to 80,000 kids under age 5 are hospitalized with the infection consistently, as well as 60,000 to 160,000 individuals matured 65 and more seasoned, the CDC said.

Also, a few babies and small kids are at a much more serious gamble of extreme sickness from RSV, including those conceived rashly, immunocompromised youngsters and those experiencing innate heart and lung infections.

The CDC estimates that 6,000 to 10,000 seniors and 100 to 300 children die annually from RSV.

However, for the first time ever, many Americans will receive RSV protection this season. Right off the bat, grown-ups north of 60 will actually want to receive an immunization shot. The vaccines will be available at major pharmacy chains like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, just like flu shots.

This season, a brand-new RSV medication is also available. It was recently approved for infants younger than eight months who are experiencing their first RSV season. Some high-risk infants are eligible for a second shot the following year. The medication is called Beyfortus.

Beyfortus is a drug that is injected once per day. It is made of monoclonal antibodies, which are proteins that are made in a lab to look like the antibodies that the body makes when it fights an infection. Beyfortus activates the immune system in a different way than a vaccine, even though it is injected intramuscularly.

A third method of treating RSV may also become available. This method involves administering an immunization in late pregnancy with the intention of protecting the unborn child. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last month, but before it can be made available, the CDC needs to approve it.