RSV cases surge in Alberta as hospitalizations climb

December 5, 2025

RED FM News Desk

RSV is surging across Alberta, with new data showing the virus hitting the province hard as winter approaches.

According to the latest figures from Alberta Health, 296 people have tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus. Of those cases, 125 have required hospitalization, eight patients are in intensive care, and two people have died.

“This is just for RSV; it doesn’t include all the other respiratory viruses,” said Dr. Oscar Larios, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. “We’ve got to remember this is just a fraction of the people who are actually infected and who were tested. It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.”

RSV is a common and highly contagious virus that often causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can lead to serious lung infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia—particularly in infants, young children, and older adults. It spreads easily through close contact and contaminated surfaces, and circulation typically peaks in the fall and winter.

Larios said many people still know little about the virus.

“A recent study shows 65 per cent of people have never spoken to their healthcare professional about RSV,” he noted. “It can be a very serious illness. There is a vaccine to prevent it, so it should be discussed with a healthcare professional.”