Four babies hospitalized for RSV in Panama Oeste; region records 36 cases

Four babies, aged between 2 and 8 months, are currently hospitalized at the Nicolás A. Solano Regional Hospital in Panama Oeste due to bronchiolitis and pneumonia linked to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to Lorena Merlo, the regional head of Epidemiology for the Ministry of Health (Minsa).

The province has reported a total of 36 RSV cases, with a notable rise in infections over the past three weeks, predominantly among infants under one year old. Of these cases, nine have been diagnosed with pneumonia caused by RSV, while the remainder are cases of bronchiolitis that also required hospitalization.

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Currently we have four infants under one year old, between 2 and 8 months of age, with bronchiolitis and with pneumonia due to respiratory syncytial virus.

The majority of affected children's mothers did not receive the recommended vaccine during pregnancy. Minsa officially advises vaccinating pregnant women between the 32nd and 36th week of gestation. This vaccination transfers antibodies to the baby, reducing the risk of complications in their early months of life. The vaccine is also available for adults over 60.

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Of those 36 cases, nine have been diagnosed as pneumonia, a pneumonia due to respiratory syncytial virus. The rest have been cases of bronchiolitis that have also required hospitalization.

Health authorities are urging the public to take preventive measures. "If adults are sick, then avoid close contact with young children. Frequent handwashing is necessary, wear a mask if you have a cough, because transmission basically occurs through saliva droplets or contaminated surfaces," Merlo stated. She emphasized that adults are typically the primary transmitters of the disease to infants.

Severe symptoms to watch for include marked difficulty breathing, the use of chest and abdominal muscles during respiration, and a bluish discoloration of the skin or lips. Infants under one year and older adults are at the highest risk of developing serious complications from RSV.

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If adults are sick, then avoid close contact with young children. Frequent handwashing is necessary, wear a mask if you have a cough, because transmission basically occurs through saliva droplets or contaminated surfaces. Then, generally, an adult is the one who transmits the disease to the baby.