Boston [US], January 30 (ANI): A team of researchers has found that nearly one in 10 of deceased infants less than six months were infected with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

The study has been published in 'The Lancet Global Health Journal'.

Also Read | World Leprosy Day 2022 Date & Significance: What Is Leprosy? Know More About the Symptoms and Prevention Methods.

RSV is a common virus that produces cold-like symptoms and is merely a nuisance for the vast majority of people who contract it. But for babies -- especially infants in low- and middle-income countries who lack adequate access to medical care -- the virus can be fatal.

Prior research has estimated that about 120,000 infants die from RSV each year, but this figure is based on modelling conducted in hospital-based settings and does not account for RSV deaths that occur in the community, which are not captured in hospital-based surveillance.

Also Read | Omicron Sub-Lineage BA.2 Has Substantial ‘Growth Advantage’ Over Original, UK Finds.

Now, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers has found that the true burden of RSV infant mortality is substantially higher than what was previously believed.

The study used systematic surveillance to measure the presence of RSV among infants who died in medical facilities or in the community and found that the virus was present in 7 to 9 per cent of infants under 6 months old and was primarily concentrated in infants under 3 months old.

Notably, two-thirds of these deaths occurred in the community -- i.e., among infants who never received medical care in a hospital and were overlooked in previous facility-based surveillance.

"The concentration of deaths in young infants less than 3 months old(

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)