Chicago area hospitals seeing rise in respiratory illness RSV in children

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Concerns are growing in the Chicago area as the respiratory illness known as RSV is on the rise. The virus can be serious for children, and at least one area hospital says its pediatric beds are filling up fast.

Respiratory syncytial virus is very common; so common that experts say most children will get it by the time they're 2 years old. For most kids symptoms are mild, but for others they can be more serious – even life threatening – and that's the concern.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show RSV cases lead to about 60,000 hospitalizations every year among children under 5. But already this season, hospitals across the country are seeing a surge in cases, including Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. That has led to a shortage of pediatric hospital beds in some cases, and long emergency room wait times in others.

So what do parents need to know? RSV usually begins with flu-like symptoms – a fever, cough and congestion. Doctors say if your child is having trouble breathing, make an appointment with the pediatrician or head to the hospital or urgent care.

"The biggest complications are the pneumonia and bronchiolitis as it hits the lungs. That can cause respiratory failure in children," said Dr. Juanita Mora, volunteer national medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

Doctors say, like a lot of viruses, RSV is hard to avoid; but the children at highest risk are premature babies, children with lung or heart disease, and children with weakened immune systems.