What is rhinovirus

However, if your immune system is weak, it may take longer for you to recover. When the cold first strikes, you may notice that your throat feels sore. As the illness progresses, you may have a runny nose, followed by coughing and sneezing. Not everyone experiences every stage of symptoms every time they have a cold. Preventing the spread of rhinovirus relies on good hygiene. Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, as this allows the virus to enter the body.

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water. If you have a cold, you can avoid spreading the illness to others by staying home from work or school. Wash your hands after you touch your mouth, eyes, or nose. When you need to cough or sneeze, you should use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose, and then wash your hands. Children typically get colds more often than adults. Protect your kids by encouraging them to wash their hands regularly and keeping them away from people who are sick.

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Instead, they will diagnose you with a cold based on your symptoms. Doctors can diagnose rhinovirus by taking a swab from your nose and growing the virus in cells in a laboratory.

However, this test often takes several days, by which time you may already feel better. If you have a very weak immune system — for example, if you have HIV or you take immune-suppressing medicines — doctors may use the swab to do a faster test called a polymerase chain reaction PCR assay. This test can detect rhinovirus quickly. However, it is not necessary for people with healthy immune systems.

Sometimes, the symptoms of rhinoviruses are similar to bacterial throat infections. Your doctor might take a swab from your throat to check for strep throat , which can be treated with antibiotics, medications that are useless against rhinovirus.

There are no treatments or medications that can cure rhinovirus. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. The best thing you can do if you have a cold is to rest and allow your immune system to fight the rhinovirus. Most cold medications are available without a prescription. However, some of them are designed for adults and are not suitable for children.

Ask your pharmacist for advice about the medications that are right for you and your family. Rest is the key to getting over a cold quickly. Daryl M. Samantha E. Jacobs received a B. During fellowship, she conducted studies on the clinical and molecular epidemiology of human rhinovirus infections in patients with hematologic malignancy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

In the fall of , Dr. Jacobs' current research interests include respiratory viral infections in immunocompromised hosts and infectious disease screening of solid-organ transplantation donors and recipients. He participates in viral outbreak investigations and is a major contributor to projects that introduce new molecular technologies and automation into the clinical laboratory.

His main research interest over the last 10 years has been molecular strain analysis of a wide variety of viral pathogens obtained from clinical specimens. Kirsten St. She is a virologist with interests in applied research, infectious disease surveillance, and laboratory regulatory issues. Respiratory viral infections are a major focus for her laboratory, with projects on the investigation of mixed-virus infections, the evolution of antiviral resistance in influenza virus, and the development and validation of new diagnostic assays, including microarrays.

Her laboratory is also the New York State reference laboratory for virology. Before moving to Albany in , where Dr. Thomas J. Walsh completed 10 postdoctoral years of laboratory investigation, clinical research, and patient care with laboratory expertise in pharmacology, innate host defenses, molecular diagnostics, and medical mycology.

Following a distinguished translational research career in the National Cancer Institute's Pediatric Oncology Branch, where he built an internationally recognized program leading to major advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of invasive fungal infections in children and adults with cancer, Dr. Walsh was recruited to his current position at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The core mission of the Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program is to conduct leading translational research, training, and patient care in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of life-threatening fungal, bacterial, and viral infections in immunocompromised patients. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Clin Microbiol Rev v. Clin Microbiol Rev. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Corresponding author. Address correspondence to Samantha E. Jacobs, ude. All Rights Reserved. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Human rhinoviruses HRVs , first discovered in the s, are responsible for more than one-half of cold-like illnesses and cost billions of dollars annually in medical visits and missed days of work.

Open in a separate window. Fig 1. Viral Replication Depending on the receptor type, virus uptake occurs via clathrin-dependent or -independent endocytosis or via macropinocytosis Fig.

Fig 2. Transmission HRVs are transmitted from person to person via contact either direct or through a fomite or aerosol small or large particle 13 , Infection of Lower Airway Epithelium There is mounting evidence from experimental and observational studies to support the role of HRV as a lower respiratory tract pathogen. Innate and Adaptive Host Response In addition to a direct effect on respiratory epithelial cells, the innate and adaptive host responses also have a role in the pathogenesis of HRV infection Fig.

Fig 3. Animal Models The development of small-animal models is useful to understand further the pathogenesis of HRV infection in both the upper and lower airways; however, there are no known murine rhinoviruses. Mechanisms in Chronic Pulmonary Disease Asthma. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cystic fibrosis. Clinical Syndromes Asymptomatic infections.

Upper respiratory infections. Lower respiratory infections. Infections in Immunocompromised Hosts With the increasing use of newer molecular platforms for respiratory virus detection, including multiplex real-time PCR assays, HRV is increasingly being recognized as a significant cause of acute respiratory illness in immunocompromised hosts , Lung transplant recipients. Patients with hematologic malignancy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Exacerbations of Chronic Pulmonary Diseases Asthma. Health Care-Associated Infections Data are limited on the frequency and risk factors for the health care-associated transmission of HRV infection, including health care worker HCW -to-patient and patient-to-patient transmission, perhaps due to limited methods for HRV detection at facilities that do not use molecular detection methods.

HRV viral load. Coinfection with Other Respiratory Pathogens Bacterial pathogens. Fig 4. Viral pathogens. Fungal pathogens. Antigen Detection and Serology There is no common antigen among HRVs, and an increasingly large number of serotypes have been described; therefore, antigen detection assays are not used for routine detection. Virus Culture Conventional virus culture. Rapid culture methods. Organ culture. Additional amplification techniques.

Respiratory virus detection panels. Whole-genome sequencing. Fig 5. Capsid-Binding Agents The viral capsid was one of the first viral proteins targeted for the development of inhibitors of viral replication. Proteolytic Enzyme Inhibitors Rupintrivir. Alpha-2 Interferon Interferons have antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunological effects that impact host cell susceptibility to infection. Echinacea Echinacea preparations are among the most widely used herbal medicines.

Zinc Zinc has activity against HRVs, although its exact mechanism of action is unknown. Antihistamines First-generation i. Other Agents Tremacamra, targeting recombinant soluble ICAM-1, and enviroxime, with an unknown mechanism, are two compounds evaluated for HRV prevention and treatment that failed to show a benefit in clinical trials.

Social Distancing and Respiratory Masks Behavioral strategies such as social distancing and respiratory mask application have been evaluated primarily in the context of pandemic influenza A virus and influenza-like illness prevention. Hand Hygiene Hand-to-hand HRV transmission appears to be highly efficient, and individuals may also self-inoculate if a contaminated hand contacts nasal secretions. Echinacea Several double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies have found that different preparations of Echinacea are ineffective for the prevention of HRV infection or the development of HRV colds , , Vitamin C Vitamin C has been studied for the prevention and treatment of the common cold since and has been marketed as such since the s.

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Log in Register. Ages and Stages. Healthy Living. Safety and Prevention. Family Life. Health Issues. Tips and Tools. Our Mission. Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. Rhinovirus Infections. Page Content. What happens when a child gets a cold?

What can I do to help my child feel better? When should I call my child's doctor? Call the doctor if your older child has symptoms such as: Lips or nails that turn blue Noisy or difficult breathing A cough that doesn't get better See Why Does My Child Have a Chronic Cough Very tired Ear pain, which may mean that your child has an ear infection How can I tell when my child has a cold? How can I treat my child's rhinovirus infection?

What can I do to keep my child from getting a rhinovirus infection? Keep infants younger than 3 months away from children or adults who have colds. Additional Information from HealthyChildren.

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.