BABY VIRUS ALERT; Fear over surge in danger cases.

Byline: EXCLUSIVE By ANDY LINES

DOCTORS are worried by soaring numbers of cases of a virus which can kill babies.

There has been a huge surge in victims of respiratory syncytial virus and around 90 per cent of those reported so far have been children under 12 months.

More than 1,070 cases of RSV were reported in November and 476 cases in the last week of the month alone.

There have been "many hundreds more" since - putting hospitals under increased pressure. The Department of Health does not release new figures until next year but it is understood there has been at least one death.

RSV is a common cause of acute bronchiolitis in children under the age of two.

It is transmitted through direct contact with those suffering coughs and colds and in older children it usually appears as a common cold.

NHS bosses are worried by the rise in RSV cases in some parts of the country. The West Midlands has seen a 365 per cent rise, the South West 302 per cent, Yorks & Humberside 276 per cent and the North West 245 per cent.

Alun Elias-Jones, consultant paediatrician at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said RSV threatened vulnerable groups such as premature infants whose "airways may not be sufficiently developed to overcome the infection".

One expert said: "The RSV looks like causing a big problem this winter."

CAPTION(S):

VULNERABLE: Virus is threat to babies