Enterovirus infection: symptoms in children, treatment, signs
To enterovirus infections include a whole group of acute infectious diseases, which are caused by viruses of the genus Enterovirus.
Infection has a high resistance to environmental factors, which explains its rapid spread and mass destruction.
Enteroviruses affect not only children, but also adults, and the deadly outcomes of the disease are known. Until now, there are both isolated cases and mass outbreaks of infection, even in developed countries of the world.
Enterovirus infections include:
Because enteroviruses persist in the environment for a long time and can be found in soil, water and food, the mechanism of getting them into the body is understandable. A person will simply eat an infected fruit or drink contaminated water to get infected. The terms of the incubation period depend exclusively on the protective forces of the person, but in most cases do not exceed ten days, after which the disease worsens and the first symptoms appear.
A sick person becomes a carrier of the disease. It is able to infect healthy people by contact, or by airborne transmission of the virus. If a pregnant woman falls ill, it is possible to transmit an enterovirus infection to a child.
See also, adenovirus infection: symptoms and treatment.
In adults and children, manifestations of enterovirus infection are diverse, since the infection is able to penetrate all tissues and organs of the human, including the brain.
Symptoms depend not only on the type of virus, but also on human immunity. So, one infected person can practically not feel sick, when another person with the same type of virus will lay down for a few days.
In most cases, enteroviruses manifest themselves as a respiratory form. It is characterized by the symptoms of an ordinary cold with stuffy nose, sore throat and a rare cough.(see symptoms and treatment of ARVI).
Intestinal form of the disease is also common. It is characterized by such manifestations as frequent diarrhea, stomach pain, flatulence and symptoms of moderate intoxication of the body. The patient's condition will be complicated if the symptoms of the respiratory form are added to the intestinal form of the disease. The combination of several forms of the disease in most cases occurs in children, but also possible in adults.
Fever against the background of enterovirus infections occurs within the framework of a separate form of the disease. The person in this case does not feel the manifestation of any other significant symptoms. The temperature usually lasts for several days, but the person's well-being does not greatly deteriorate from this.
Sometimes enteroviruses manifest themselves as a herpetic sore throat. On the oral mucosa appears red papules, which after a few days are opened, turning into eroded areas. It takes such a sore throat in about a week, during which a person can be bothered not only by papules, but also minor pains in the throat, as well as enlarged submandibular lymph nodes.
Another superficial expression of enterovirus infection is "Boston fever", which is characterized by rashes on the face, trunk and extremities. The rash lasts about four days. In this form of the disease a person suffers not only from rash, but also from a fever that usually lasts a week. In addition, there are general symptoms of intoxication of the body.
An extremely unpleasant form of the virus is epidemic myalgia. Also it is called "devil's dance" or the flu "devilish".A person is struck by sharp pains of a cutting character in the chest or abdomen, which last about ten minutes at a frequency of one hour. The pain lasts up to 2 days, greatly impotent man. The heat can last for several days. But half of the patients have a second wave of fever with new attacks of pain.
In addition to all of the above, enterovirus infections can cause the development of meningitis, encephalitis, polyradiculoneuritis, myocarditis, kidney damage, etc.
Given that the clinical signs of enterovirus infection are quite extensive, it is impossible to determine the presence of the disease in a child or adult solely by external symptoms.
In the diagnosis of enteroviruses, the following methods are used:
In addition, symptomatic therapy is shown that removes clinical manifestations, which cause particular inconvenience to a sick person. For example, at a high temperature, the appointment of antipyretic agents is adequate. With repeated vomiting, antiemetics should be prescribed, and a set of measures is required to prevent dehydration. If a secondary infection has joined the disease, then treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is necessary. Anesthetic drugs are prescribed for the pain syndrome.
The purpose of a symptomatic treatment scheme depends strongly on the form of the disease. If a person has an intestinal form of the disease, then a general therapy should be prescribed a diet that will help stabilize the patient's condition after a fit of vomiting or diarrhea. So, the food should be easily assimilated, should not irritate the gastric mucosa and intestines. Under the ban are carbonated drinks, sweets, spicy, salty, fried. Diet № 4 is quite suitable for a person with an intestinal form of enterovirus infection.
In addition, during the treatment the patient must be under medical supervision in the hospital, since enterovirus infections are extremely contagious. Family members, as well as those who contacted the patient before and after the onset of symptoms, should also be examined for infection. This is done in order to avoid mass outbreaks of the disease.
Read also how to treat intestinal infection.
Unfortunately, there are no specific measures that will allow 100% protection from enterovirus. Adults or children can perform those protective actions that only theoretically will not allow the viruses to enter the body.
Thus, preventive measures are reduced to following the general rules of personal hygiene. It is necessary to wash hands thoroughly after visiting the restroom, and also before each meal. If you do not have the opportunity to wash your hands, you should use a hand hygienic gel that can be purchased at any pharmacy. Also, seriously treat the processing of fruits and vegetables, since the virus can be in the external environment for a long time.
In case of illness of a family member, it is necessary to disinfect the dishes, which the patient used, and carefully wash his personal belongings. In addition, in the house it is often necessary to ventilate and conduct a wet cleaning of the premises.
In case of massive outbreaks of children, leukocyte interferon and immunoglobulin in small doses are shown as a protection against infection, and adults should avoid crowding.
Enterovirus infections penetrate all organs and tissues of a person, which explains the number of clinical manifestations of the disease. In most cases, a person experiences a disease without complications. But sometimes, due to weakened human immunity or concomitant diseases, complications can occur in the form of meningitis and encephalitis.
Both diseases affect the human brain, which can lead to:
Infection has a high resistance to environmental factors, which explains its rapid spread and mass destruction.
Enteroviruses affect not only children, but also adults, and the deadly outcomes of the disease are known. Until now, there are both isolated cases and mass outbreaks of infection, even in developed countries of the world.
Enterovirus infections include:
- poliovirus( types 1,2,3);
- viruses Coxsackie A( 23 types);
- Coxsackie viruses( 6 types);
- enteroviruses( 68-71 type);
- viruses are ECHO.
Causes of
Because enteroviruses persist in the environment for a long time and can be found in soil, water and food, the mechanism of getting them into the body is understandable. A person will simply eat an infected fruit or drink contaminated water to get infected. The terms of the incubation period depend exclusively on the protective forces of the person, but in most cases do not exceed ten days, after which the disease worsens and the first symptoms appear.
A sick person becomes a carrier of the disease. It is able to infect healthy people by contact, or by airborne transmission of the virus. If a pregnant woman falls ill, it is possible to transmit an enterovirus infection to a child.
See also, adenovirus infection: symptoms and treatment.
Symptoms of enterovirus infection in children
In adults and children, manifestations of enterovirus infection are diverse, since the infection is able to penetrate all tissues and organs of the human, including the brain.
Symptoms depend not only on the type of virus, but also on human immunity. So, one infected person can practically not feel sick, when another person with the same type of virus will lay down for a few days.
In most cases, enteroviruses manifest themselves as a respiratory form. It is characterized by the symptoms of an ordinary cold with stuffy nose, sore throat and a rare cough.(see symptoms and treatment of ARVI).
Intestinal form of the disease is also common. It is characterized by such manifestations as frequent diarrhea, stomach pain, flatulence and symptoms of moderate intoxication of the body. The patient's condition will be complicated if the symptoms of the respiratory form are added to the intestinal form of the disease. The combination of several forms of the disease in most cases occurs in children, but also possible in adults.
Fever against the background of enterovirus infections occurs within the framework of a separate form of the disease. The person in this case does not feel the manifestation of any other significant symptoms. The temperature usually lasts for several days, but the person's well-being does not greatly deteriorate from this.
Sometimes enteroviruses manifest themselves as a herpetic sore throat. On the oral mucosa appears red papules, which after a few days are opened, turning into eroded areas. It takes such a sore throat in about a week, during which a person can be bothered not only by papules, but also minor pains in the throat, as well as enlarged submandibular lymph nodes.
Another superficial expression of enterovirus infection is "Boston fever", which is characterized by rashes on the face, trunk and extremities. The rash lasts about four days. In this form of the disease a person suffers not only from rash, but also from a fever that usually lasts a week. In addition, there are general symptoms of intoxication of the body.
An extremely unpleasant form of the virus is epidemic myalgia. Also it is called "devil's dance" or the flu "devilish".A person is struck by sharp pains of a cutting character in the chest or abdomen, which last about ten minutes at a frequency of one hour. The pain lasts up to 2 days, greatly impotent man. The heat can last for several days. But half of the patients have a second wave of fever with new attacks of pain.
In addition to all of the above, enterovirus infections can cause the development of meningitis, encephalitis, polyradiculoneuritis, myocarditis, kidney damage, etc.
Treatment of enterovirus infection
Given that the clinical signs of enterovirus infection are quite extensive, it is impossible to determine the presence of the disease in a child or adult solely by external symptoms.
In the diagnosis of enteroviruses, the following methods are used:
- 1) Serological. It is aimed at revealing the markers of the virus in the blood of an infected person.
- 2) Virological. It is aimed at isolating the virus from the suspected contaminated material( blood and other physiological fluids).
- 3) Molecular and biological. It is aimed at revealing genetic material( RNA fragments) of enterovirus infection.
In addition, symptomatic therapy is shown that removes clinical manifestations, which cause particular inconvenience to a sick person. For example, at a high temperature, the appointment of antipyretic agents is adequate. With repeated vomiting, antiemetics should be prescribed, and a set of measures is required to prevent dehydration. If a secondary infection has joined the disease, then treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is necessary. Anesthetic drugs are prescribed for the pain syndrome.
The purpose of a symptomatic treatment scheme depends strongly on the form of the disease. If a person has an intestinal form of the disease, then a general therapy should be prescribed a diet that will help stabilize the patient's condition after a fit of vomiting or diarrhea. So, the food should be easily assimilated, should not irritate the gastric mucosa and intestines. Under the ban are carbonated drinks, sweets, spicy, salty, fried. Diet № 4 is quite suitable for a person with an intestinal form of enterovirus infection.
In addition, during the treatment the patient must be under medical supervision in the hospital, since enterovirus infections are extremely contagious. Family members, as well as those who contacted the patient before and after the onset of symptoms, should also be examined for infection. This is done in order to avoid mass outbreaks of the disease.
Read also how to treat intestinal infection.
Prevention of enterovirus infection
Unfortunately, there are no specific measures that will allow 100% protection from enterovirus. Adults or children can perform those protective actions that only theoretically will not allow the viruses to enter the body.
Thus, preventive measures are reduced to following the general rules of personal hygiene. It is necessary to wash hands thoroughly after visiting the restroom, and also before each meal. If you do not have the opportunity to wash your hands, you should use a hand hygienic gel that can be purchased at any pharmacy. Also, seriously treat the processing of fruits and vegetables, since the virus can be in the external environment for a long time.
In case of illness of a family member, it is necessary to disinfect the dishes, which the patient used, and carefully wash his personal belongings. In addition, in the house it is often necessary to ventilate and conduct a wet cleaning of the premises.
In case of massive outbreaks of children, leukocyte interferon and immunoglobulin in small doses are shown as a protection against infection, and adults should avoid crowding.
Complications of the disease
Enterovirus infections penetrate all organs and tissues of a person, which explains the number of clinical manifestations of the disease. In most cases, a person experiences a disease without complications. But sometimes, due to weakened human immunity or concomitant diseases, complications can occur in the form of meningitis and encephalitis.
Both diseases affect the human brain, which can lead to:
- weakness and increased fatigue;
- pressure increase;
- paralysis;
- development of epilepsy;
- fatal outcomes.