RSV

1 of 2

abbreviation or noun

ˌär-ˌes-ˈvē 

plural RSVs

: respiratory syncytial virus

Like many viruses, RSV is spread through contact with an infected person or contaminated objects.

—Nancy Snyderman

RSV, a common respiratory illness that can cause severe breathing problems for babies, has been spreading around the region and the country, and doctors are cautioning about the risks to young children.

—Josette Keelor

RSVs typically emerge in late fall and remain until early spring. However, signs of RSV outbreak began in the middle of April before exponentially increasing by early May.

—Winston Henvey

RSV

2 of 2

abbreviation

Revised Standard Version

Examples of RSV in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Abbreviation or noun

The analysis found that among newborns (0–2 months), RSV hospitalizations fell 52 percent in RSV-NET and 45 percent in NVSN compared with the rates from the 2018–2020 period. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2025

Already, though, HHS seems confident in how the project will play out, according to its press release: The department is targeting FDA approval for at least one of the vaccines in 2029, and claims that the vaccines will be adaptable for other respiratory viruses (such as RSV and parainfluenza). —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 6 May 2025

Leavitt became a particularly controversial figure after posting and defending a video of herself dancing in front of Liam, then a newborn hospitalized with RSV. —Hunter Harris, Vulture, 5 May 2025

Other whole-virus vaccines, including the first ones developed to fight respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, have caused problems such as immune enhancement, where exposure to the virus after vaccination makes the infection more dangerous, not less. —Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 1 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Abbreviation Or Noun

1961, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

RSV

1 of 2 abbreviation or noun

ˌär-ˌes-ˈvē 

: respiratory syncytial virus

Long considered primarily a pathogen of young children, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been recognized as a cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in adults.

—Harvey B. Simon, Science & Medicine

However, upper respiratory tract infections caused by RSV tend to last longer than those caused by other common respiratory agents …

—Caroline Breese, The New England Journal of Medicine

RSV

2 of 2 abbreviation

Rous sarcoma virus