What is the Difference Between RSV and Rhinovirus

The main difference between RSV and rhinovirus is that RSV is a contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract whereas rhinovirus is a common viral infectious agent in humans, predominantly causing the common cold.

RSV and rhinovirus are two types of viruses that cause infections in humans. Both are RNA viruses.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is RSV
– Definition, Structure, Importance
2. What is Rhinovirus
– Definition, Structure, Importance
3. Similarities Between RSV and Rhinovirus
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between RSV and Rhinovirus
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Orthopneumovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Rhinovirus, RSV

What is RSV

RSV is a common contagious virus that causes infections in the respiratory tract. It is also called respiratory syncytial virus and human orthopneumovirus. RSV is a negative sense, single-stranded virus. Generally, it is the most common cause of respiratory hospitalization in infants. However, it is an important pathogen in all age groups. Typically, infection rates are high in cold winter months. It causes the common cold in adults and bronchiolitis in infants. In elders and immunocompromised individuals, RSV causes more serious respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia.

Figure 1: RSV

Furthermore, RSV causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in two weeks although it causes severe illness in infants and elder persons. Normally, the spreading of RSV occurs through contaminated droplets. It can cause outbreaks in both the community and the hospital settings. The initial infection occurs through the eyes and nose and the virus infects the epithelial cells of the upper and lower respiratory tract. In addition, the infection causes inflammation, cell damage, and airway obstruction.

What is Rhinovirus

Rhinovirus is the most common viral infectious agent in humans. It is the predominant cause of the common cold. In addition, the most significant feature of rhinovirus is that it proliferates in temperatures of 33–35 °C (91–95 °F). In general, it is the temperature that occurs in the nose. There are three species of rhinovirus: rhinovirus A, B, and C. Around 160 serotypes occur in rhinovirus. They differ according to the surface antigens. Rhinovirus is also lytic in nature.

Figure 2: Rhinovirus

Moreover, rhinovirus is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus. It is among the smallest viruses in nature and its diameter is about 30 nanometers. More importantly, rhinovirus is the primary cause of the common cold and the symptoms include runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, sore throat, and cough. Furthermore, common cold is usually accompanied by muscle aches, malaise, headache, fatigue, muscle weakness, or loss of appetite.

Similarities Between RSV and Rhinovirus

• RSV and rhinovirus are two types of infectious viruses that infect humans.
• Both are single-stranded RNA viruses.
• The transmission of these viruses occur through aerosols.

Difference Between RSV and Rhinovirus

Definition

RSV, also called human respiratory syncytial virus and human orthopneumovirus, is a common contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract while rhinovirus refers to any of a group of picornaviruses including those which cause some forms of the common cold.

Structure

RSV is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus while rhinovirus is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus.

Importance

Moreover, RSV causes infections of the respiratory tract while rhinovirus is a common viral infectious agent in humans, predominantly causing the common cold.

Significance

RSV is the common cause of respiratory hospitalization in infants while rhinovirus is the primary cause of the common cold.

Symptoms

RSV causes nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and low-grade fever while rhinovirus causes sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, and cough.  

Conclusion

In brief, RSV and rhinovirus are two infectious viruses common in humans. RSV causes respiratory tract infections while rhinovirus causes the common cold. In addition, RSV is a negative sense, single-stranded virus and it causes respiratory hospitalization in infants. Rhinovirus, on the other hand, is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus and it is one of the smallest viruses among other viruses. In addition, rhinovirus is the primary cause of the common cold. Therefore, the main difference between RSV and rhinovirus is the type of disease they cause.

References:

1. “Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 9 Jan. 2021
2. “Rhinovirus Infections.” healthychildren.org,

Image Courtesy:

1. “Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) EM PHIL 2175 lores” By Djibe89 – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Rhinovirus isosurface” By Thomas Splettstoesser – Own Work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia