The Arizona Department of Health Services is reporting an uptick in the amount of cases of respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.

Current case reports are up about 4.5 times this year vs the last five seasons.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital pediatrician Dr. Gary Kirkilas said they have seen a lot of patients in the last several weeks.

“Pre-pandemic we would look at expecting a surge in mid-December, however the past several years we’re seeing these earlier stages. That’s a little bit unusual,” said Kirkilas.

Kirkilas said the virus is often the cause of a common cold, which can affect bronchial tubes and cause breathing difficulty in young children, especially those under 2 years old.

Health officials are also bracing for the possibility of a “tripledemic” where children would face RSV, COVID-19 and the flu as temperatures begin to drop.

Kirkilas joined The Show to talk more about vaccines and what the early virus season means for Arizona kids.

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