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Respiratory Syncytial Virus
My STEAM project studies and expands on the key components of the respiratory system by examining its structure and analyzing the effects of infections on its functions. The disease of focus for this project will be respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.
RSV is a respiratory virus infection that targets the lungs, along with the nose and throat. It affects the lungs and breathing because it traps excess amounts of mucus in the lungs, which then blocks the airways making it more difficult to breathe. Symptoms are commonly wheezing, coughing, congestion, and inflammation of the air passages. This virus is most common in the fall and winter, peaking in December and January, with symptoms very similar to other respiratory viruses like the common cold or COVID-19 making it hard to distinguish(CDC). People at risk for more severe cases of RSV are generally infants or older adults due to their weakened immune systems and RSV affected individuals usually are more prone to developing more infections. It is the most common cause of specifically bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children 1 year of age(CDC). In the chance of hospitalization, individuals may require additional oxygen, IV fluids for hydration, and breathing tubes with mechanical ventilation.
Many studies have been done on RSV and similar viruses to determine the leading causes of its strong spread ability. It either spreads throughout the body directly or localized cell-to-cell transmission with two of the main contributors being virus filaments that form on infected cells from virus particles and certain proteins, more specifically the G protein. The virus filaments can be up to several microns in length and have been observed on many cell types that are permissive for RSV infection, showing as a strong feature of the RSV particle assembly process in these cells(Sugrue et al, 2025). Although evidence has proven that filamentous virus particle morphology is not specific to RSV and has also been described for the pneumonia virus of mice, it does prove that this may be a shared feature of RSV’s particular virus family Pneumoviridae. It is also observed that specific lipid classed raft membranes present in the virus envelope may be responsible for promoting membrane fusion during the virus entering host cells.
When observing two phases of RSV infections, researchers found the infection multiplicity kept to only cell association in the early phase(24-48 hours) but also that inhibition of specific proteins in the infection cycles limited the formation of the virus filaments and reduced infectivity rates. In the late stages, localized cell-to-cell transmission occurs from forming much larger clusters of infected cells referred to as syncytia which is detected in lung tissue of RSV-infected individuals and implies this is more of a distinct feature of RSV infections in airways(Sugrue et al, 2025). There is also increased release of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), an enzyme protein responsible for speeding up chemical processes in the body, found to be related to increased syncytia formation and cell-free virus particles spreading long-range into the body, direly increasing the spread.
RSV is spread through airborne passageways or direct contact with surfaces that contain the virus, with the easiest route being through the nose. This can be spread through infected individuals sneezing or coughing on you, kissing or hugging, and touching contaminated countertops. RSV can survive for many hours on hard surfaces, such as tables and crib rails while it typically lives on soft surfaces, such as tissues and hands, for shorter amounts of time(CDC). Ways to reduce risk for yourself or others from acquiring RSV are wearing masks, staying vaccinated, ensuring cleaner or purer air, practicing good hygiene like washing hands often, and distancing yourself as needed. Other ways to mitigate this virus can be using certain natural medicinal herbs that produce antiviral effects such as anti-inflammatory benefits. Studies have shown that herbs such as ginseng root, echinacea purpurea, and radix astragali have a positive effect on antiviral activity by preventing viral adhesion, syncytial development, inhibiting viral internalization, relieving respiratory inflammation, strengthening the immune system, and stimulating the release of interferons(Rasool et al, 2024).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, August 30). About RSV | RSV. CDC.
https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/index.html
Rasool, A. T., Li, E., & Nazir, A. (2024). Recent advances in natural products and derivatives
with antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Journal of Asian Natural
Products Research, 27(4), 505–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286020.2024.2417211Sugrue, R. J., & Tan, B. H. (2025, March). The link between respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) morphogenesis and virus transmission: Towards a paradigm for understanding RSV transmission in the upper airway. Virology, 604. MEDLINE. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2025.110413