Lung Virus Taking Its Toll on Young Lives, Study Finds

Summary:

This article is about the lung virus that is taking young lives. The article says that a common virus that causes wheezing and pneumonia claims the lives of up to two hundred thousand children worldwide each year. The article says that the research conducted by the University of Edinburgh showed that about 3.4 million children require hospital treatment for severe lung infection caused by the bug respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The article also says that RSV, which infects most children before the age of two usually, causes mild cold-like symptoms, but can lead to serious illness in babies who are born prematurely or who have congenital heart disease. The author also states that the study which was published in the Lancet journal, confirms that RSV is the single largest cause of lung infection in children. “It is the first time that the numbers of children dying globally from RSV before the age of five has been quantified.” “The international team analysed unpublished data from developing countries as well as all the published medical research on RSV infection. They found that about 33.8m children become infected with RSV each year and that 99 per cent of RSV-related deaths occur in developing countries.” The article says that since the number of the affected patients the international team may contribute to the development of a vaccine against the infection.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100415205748.htm

Personal response:

This article interested me somehow. I feel very bad for those children who are infected by this lung virus at very early age. I wish I could do anything to help those children, but I am not much of science person. I just hope that researcher at University of Edinburgh comes up with a vaccine that will help this children.