By:  Amie Dahnke

Respiratory syncytial virus, more commonly known as RSV, has been shown to infect nerve cells and trigger inflammation that can damage nerve cells, according to a new study by Tulane University researchers.

The study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, is the first to indicate that the virus can penetrate nerve cells, offering an insight into why some children who contract RSV report neurological symptoms with the illness.

Typically, RSV causes mild respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, along with fever. In some cases, symptoms can be more severe and cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis. In addition, 40 percent of children under the age of 2 who have had the virus have shown acute encephalopathy, which is characterized as brain dysfunction that often leaves a person confused, with memory loss or with personality changes.

The study indicates the impacts of the illness long after a child has recovered. The report comes at a time when RSV, along with COVID-19 and the flu, overwhelms health care systems each winter.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.1 million children under the age of 5 visit the doctor each year for RSV; of those, between 58,000 and 80,000 are hospitalized. RSV is responsible for the deaths of between 100 and 300 children under the age of 5 each year.

The illness isn’t limited to children; it can affect individuals of all ages. However, it is especially harmful to vulnerable populations, including adults over the age of 65. According to the CDC, each year, between 60,000 and 160,000 seniors aged 65 and older are hospitalized due to RSV, and among these, between 6,000 and 10,000 die from the virus.

How RSV Affects the Nervous System

The research team discovered that RSV affects the nervous system by studying 3D peripheral nerve cultures. These cultures were developed from stem cells and rat embryos. After injecting RSV into the stem cells and embryos, the team observed that the cells released chemokines, which are proteins that fight infections. This release of chemokines led to severe inflammation within the cells, according to the study.

The team also observed that the nerve cultures responded differently under higher concentrations of the virus. For instance, when exposed to low levels of RSV, the nerves became hyperreactive to stimulation. However, at higher infection levels, the nerves started to deteriorate, showing increased neurotoxicity and inflammation.

According to the study, the hyperreactivity and increased inflammation could explain why some children with RSV are more likely to experience asthmatic symptoms.

Additionally, the team believes that RSV can enter the spinal cord through peripheral nerves. The theory suggests that by utilizing the peripheral nerves, the branches of the nervous system that connect directly to the brain and spinal cord, the virus gains direct access to the brain. This could explain why some children develop neurological disorders following RSV infection, the researchers said.

Need for Prevention More Important Than Ever

The study highlights the importance of preventing RSV in not only vulnerable groups but also the general population. This is the first time since the virus’s discovery in 1956 that research has revealed its potential to infect beyond the respiratory tract.

Two vaccines for RSV have been available in the US since May 2023, when the Food and Drug Administration approved Abrysvo and Arexvy. Arexvy can be used to prevent RSV in individuals 60 and older.

(TheEpochTimes.com)