Respiratory virus spikes in BethelPublished on February 26th, 2010 By ALASKA NEWSPAPERS STAFF
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. would like to advise the public to be aware of a recent outbreak of the RSV virus, according to a written statement from the health corporation. YKHC has seen a recent spike in RSV-related cases. The virus causes acute respiratory tract illness in patients of all ages and occurs in annual epidemics of variable extent during winter and early spring in climates such as ours. Severe RSV illness is more likely to occur in infants and young children, especially those with chronic lung disease and prematurely born infants with or without chronic lung disease. Symptoms of RSV are similar to a cold. Most symptoms go away on their own after several days. If your child is having problems breathing, please bring them to see a provider immediately. To help prevent spreading RSV: • Wash hands frequently. If running water is not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. • Cover your mouth when coughing. • Avoid sharing items, such as cups, glasses, and utensils with persons diagnosed with a respiratory illness. For additional questions, please contact Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's Infection Control at (907) 543-6303. Contact us about this article at editor@thearcticsounder.com |
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The Arctic Sounder is a publication of Alaska Newspapers, Inc. This article is © 2010 and limited reproduction rights for personal use are granted for this printing only. This article, in any form, may not be further reproduced without written permission of the publisher and owner, including duplication for not-for-profit purposes. Portions of this article may belong to other agencies; those sections are reproduced here with permission and Alaska Newspapers, Inc. makes no provisions for further distribution.