Chickenpox, rubella, measles and mumps are viral infectious diseases that can result in complications. Meanwhile, many parents believe that the sooner a child catches an infection caused by viruses, the faster they will develop lifelong immunity. This is not the case.

Infectious diseases in childhoodstill cause concern. The degree of infectivity of a given depends on the strength (virulence) of the bacteria or viruses and the resistance of the organism. We usually become infected when we come into contact with a sick person. Pathogenic microorganisms can also be spread by flies, mosquitoes, lice and ticks.

You can often hear the opinion that all children should be protected against bacterial infections, and viral infection may be provoked so that the child has the disease behind him sooner. According to the latest knowledge, provoking infection is irresponsible, because it can result in serious complications, even death. You never know what the course of the infection will be, although usually up to the age of 14 it is milder than in the elderly.

If someone has not had an infectious disease in childhood, as an adult he will be more ill, and the infection may result in serious complications. This is because childhood diseases in adults are often atypical and difficult to diagnose by doctors. And when diagnosis and treatment are delayed, the risk of complications increases. Often, however, complications result from the fact that the adult organism is not adapted to fight childhood diseases.

Chicken pox - an infectious disease that causes serious complications in adults

The disease is caused by: Herpesvirus varicella-zoster (VZV); primary infection causes smallpox, while surviving virus causes shingles in adults

Method of infection: by droplet

Hatching period:usually 10-17, sometimes even 20 daysInfectious period:1-2 days before the appearance of the rash and until to dry the scabsIsolation:not necessary if other household members have had smallpox

Symptoms:

  • fever for 5 days
  • headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain
  • after 2-5 days rash all over the body, mucous membranes and hair (initially itchy red spots, then lumps filled with fluidserous)
  • a red rim around the pimples; pimples dry up after 4-6 days

Treatment: antipyretics and antipruritics, for larger pustules - gentian; attention - children must not be given aspirin at all! Complications: infection of the lesions on the skin makes it difficult to heal and may leave visible scars; for newborns, smallpox is a life-threatening condition Immunity: about 7 years, but relapses have occurred earlier. Vaccinations: anyone who did not have smallpox in childhood should be vaccinated, especially women planning pregnancy. pregnant women are at risk of losing a child or developing birth defects.

See the gallery of 7 photosImportant

Neither a vaccine nor having an infectious disease can guarantee that we will never get sick with it again. Remember, however, that the disease after vaccination is milder and the risk of complications is much smaller.

Rubella - an infectious disease caused by Rubella virus

The disease is caused by: Rubella virus Method of infection: by airborne droplet infection, the fetus becomes infected from the mother Hatching period: 14-21 days Infection period: about one week before the onset of the rash and 4 days after it Isolation: for 7 days after the onset of the rash Symptoms:

  • 24 hours before rash swollen lymph nodes at the back of the head and near the ears
  • maculopapular pink rash on the skin - first on the face, then on the rest of the body (usually disappears after 3 days)
  • pharyngitis
  • fever is rare

Treatment: according to the symptomsComplications: in women and older girls - arthritis (most often of the small joints of the hands), which disappears without a trace; sometimes inflammation of the nerves and even the brain. Immunity: long-term; relapses are rare; children of women who have been vaccinated or suffered from rubella have innate immunity for 6 months Vaccinations: in Poland only 13-year-old girls When an adult becomes ill: in young men it causes orchitis; it is very dangerous for pregnant women (most often in the first trimester); the consequence of infection of the fetus may be miscarriage or cardiovascular defects, damage to eyesight (glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy), hydrocephalus, mental retardation, hypoplasia of limbs in a child.

Problem

Viruses are the simplest form of life. Most have pathogenic properties. They are smaller than bacteria and multiply in the cells of the human body. They transmit genetic information about their properties through deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA-viruses) or ribonucleic acid (RNA-viruses). GOUT-viruses are more durable, RNA - weaker.

Measles - an infectious disease manifested by a rash all over the body

The disease is caused by :RNA-viruses Method of infection :by droplet Hatching period: 7-18 days, no symptoms Infection period: until onset rash Isolation: until recovery, i.e. 5 days after onset of rash Symptoms: depends on the phase of the disease 1. in the harbingers or in the catarrhal period (lasting 3-4 days):

  • fever over 39 degrees C
  • rhinitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis, dry cough, conjunctivitis (photophobia, tearing)
  • On day 3, white spots (like grains of sand) with a red border are visible on the cheek mucosa, the so-called Koplik spots
  • lymph nodes enlargement

2. in the rash period (lasting the next 3-4 days):

  • worsening of the symptoms of upper respiratory tract inflammation, severe shortness of breath, sometimes cyanosis, increased heart rate \ rash along the hairline after several hours covers the face and neck
  • on the 3rd day the rash spreads throughout the body; On day 4, it begins to disappear in the order it appeared
  • in young children abdominal pain and diarrhea

Treatment: antipyretic and antitussive drugs, drinking fluids, with laryngitis - inhaled corticosteroids; in case of bacterial infection - antibiotics Complications: bronchitis, pneumonia, middle ear inflammation, rarely inflammation of the heart muscle, nervous system (hemiplegia). Immunity: it is not permanent even after vaccinations; infants whose mothers were ill have natural immunity for 6 months Vaccination: obligatory in the 13-15 month and 6 year of the child's life encephalitis is frequent (in 15% of cases it is fatal), 25% adults have permanent neurological damage.

Mumps - an infectious disease characterized by pain and swelling of the salivary glands

The disease is caused by: Mumps, the common parotitis virus Infection method: by airborne droplets or direct contact with a sick person Hatching period: 14-21 days Infectivity period: 7 days before the onset of salivary gland edema and 9 days after it Isolation: until the swelling subsides Symptoms:

  • fever, chills, headache, general breakdown
  • pain and swelling in one or both of the salivary glands decreases after 3-4 days and disappears after a week
  • you may experience meningeal syndrome, i.e. high fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, and testicular inflammation

Treatment: antipyretics, corticosteroids and non-steroids in testicular inflammationanti-inflammatory drugs and ice packs; bed rest required Complications: inflammation of the middle ear, joints, testes and epididymis; less often inflammation of the pancreas, ovaries, heart muscle, auditory nerve; very rarely - encephalitis; after testicular inflammation that will go unrecognized or untreated, you run the risk of infertility; boys get sick 3-5 times more often than girls Immunity: difficult to assess; 5 percent vaccinated people do not develop any Vaccinations: compulsory in the 13-14 month; recommended at 7 years of age; pregnant women are not vaccinated When an adult becomes ill: with swelling of the salivary glands there is a stiff neck, temperature 38 degrees C, difficulty swallowing; you must not dehydrate the body; a man may become sterile.

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