Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious respiratory virus. RSV often spreads through respiratory droplets. It can be serious, especially for high-risk groups. Getting vaccinated is the best protection. We monitor and report on RSV in our community, including national case numbers.

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What RSV is

RSV is a common and highly contagious virus that can cause respiratory infections. 

RSV can cause mild to severe illness. Most people recover within a few days. Some people are at higher risk of getting severely unwell.

RSV infections most often affect children aged under 2 years.

RSV vaccines are available for people at higher risk of becoming severely unwell.

Why it matters to public health

RSV is a leading cause of infection of the lower airways and lungs in young children and older adults. Almost all children have been infected with RSV by 2 years of age. Reinfection with RSV can occur throughout life.

RSV is a common cause of hospitalisation in young infants during autumn and winter. It is also an important cause of respiratory infection and hospitalisation in older adults and people at increased risk of severe disease.

Because of these impacts, we monitor and report on national case numbers, hospitalisations, and epidemiological trends.

Symptoms

If you have serious symptoms – such as severe shortness of breath or chest pain – call 000 immediately.

Common symptoms include:

  • fever 
  • runny or stuffy nose
  • sore throat
  • cough
  • ear pain.

Symptoms might range from mild to severe, and you might not get all those symptoms.

Young babies might get more severe symptoms, including:

  • wheezing
  • difficulty breathing
  • irritability
  • poor feeding.

healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether you need to see a doctor.

Check your symptoms

Onset of symptoms

Symptoms usually start around 2 to 8 days after getting infected. 

How it spreads

RSV spreads easily through droplets and secretions from your respiratory tract. When you do things like cough or sneeze, these droplets spread through the air or land on people and surfaces.

Other people can catch RSV by:

  • their mouth, nose or eyes coming into contact with these droplets
  • breathing in these droplets 
  • touching surfaces or objects that have been in contact with an infected person, then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. 

Read more about how RSV spreads.

Infectious period

You can infect others for around 7 to 10 days after symptoms begin.

Prevention

Get vaccinated

From 2025, eligible pregnant people can get the RSV vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program. If you are not eligible for a free vaccine, you can buy one from your doctor or pharmacy.

The best ways to protect against RSV are to:

  • get vaccinated, if eligible
  • put physical distance between yourself and others
  • maintain good hygiene, including by regularly washing your hands and maintaining respiratory hygiene
  • avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, particularly if you are around people who are unwell
  • regularly clean objects and surfaces you use often, such as mobile phones and door handles.

RSV vaccination is recommended for:

  • pregnant people, to protect newborn babies
  • people aged 75 years or older
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 years or older
  • people with medical risk factors for severe RSV disease aged 60 years or older.

RSV monoclonal antibodies are recommended for young babies at increased risk of severe RSV disease to help their body fight off an infection. This includes those whose mother or birthing parent did not get vaccinated while pregnant at least 2 weeks before delivery.

If you or your child have RSV symptoms:

  • stay home while you have acute symptoms
  • wear a mask if you need to leave home
  • don’t visit people who are at higher risk of severe disease
  • maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene.

Read more ways to prevent RSV.

High-risk groups and settings

Some people are at greater risk of getting RSV infection or of getting very sick from it.

RSV can spread quickly in homes and other settings including:

  • residential aged care homes
  • other residential care facilities 
  • childcare centres 
  • schools. 

Read more about preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.

People at greater risk of severe disease

RSV poses a greater risk of severe illness for:

  • babies and young children, especially those who were born prematurely
  • people aged 60 years or older
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • people with some chronic conditions 
  • people with weakened immune systems.

People at greater risk of becoming infected

People are at greater risk of becoming infected if they have had contact with someone who has RSV infection – especially if you have been in close contact, such as living in the same house.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your doctor can diagnose RSV infection with a test. The sample is usually collected from your nose or throat with a cotton swab and sent to a laboratory for testing.

You can test yourself with a rapid antigen test (RAT) that detects RSV. These tests are widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies. These are not as accurate as tests from your doctor.

Read more about diagnosing RSV.

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.

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Most people will get better without any treatment within 7 to 10 days. 

Antibiotics are not used to treat RSV because they do not work for viral infections. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them can increase the risk of antibiotic resistance.

Read more about how to manage or treat RSV.

Surveillance and reporting

RSV is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report new cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. 

We also track RSV cases through other surveillance systems, including:

This helps us to monitor case numbers and disease severity around the country. 

We analyse the data, and report on RSV case numbers through:

For more information about our surveillance and reporting activities, see our:

Outbreaks

Seasonal RSV outbreaks occur most often in autumn and winter months.

We provide guidance for managing outbreaks of respiratory infections, including RSV, in aged care homes.

State and territory health departments provide guidance and support for outbreaks of respiratory infections, including RSV – for example, in aged care homes or hospitals.

Read more about how we define and plan for outbreaks.

Support

For information about RSV in your state or territory see:

We regularly add new content to this website. This will include more topics and diseases. In the meantime, information about other diseases in Australia is on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website. 

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