Infectious Diseases A-Z: What parents of babies need to know about bronchiolitis

Seasonal influenza isn't the only viral illness to watch out for this winter, especially if you have young children and infants. Bronchiolitis is a viral infection that causes an inflammation of the small airways in the lungs. It can affect adults and children of all ages but the most severe symptoms usually occur in young children and infants.

"Bronchiolitis is one of the most common reasons that children come into the hospital and the emergency department in the wintertime. And, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is the most common cause of bronchiolitis," says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic.

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