RSV is a virus that is a common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infection. Repeated infections are common throughout life because natural infection does not confer long-lasting immunity.

RSV disease is most common in very young children, elderly people and First Nations people.

In adults, RSV usually causes upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, such as cough, sore throat and nasal congestion, similar to other respiratory viruses. Wheezing, earache and sinus pain occur more commonly with RSV infection than with other viruses. Lower respiratory tract infection can also cause wheezing and breathing difficulty. In children, primary RSV infection usually occurs by two years of age. 

It is a leading cause of hospitalisation due to lower respiratory tract infection and bronchiolitis in infants aged up to six months.