Dangerous Childhood DISEASES
Diseases are running ramped in the world and there is little known facts about why or what causes them. Information about childhood diseases will be the first step in protecting our future.
Chicken pox (Varicella)
Chicken pox is an infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus that causes an itchy rash.
Symptoms
· Initial cold-like symptoms
· High temperature
· Intense itchy rash
· Lesions that generally appear on the face, scalp, and trunk
Complications
· Most healthy children recover with no complications
· Complications for high-risk groups of people include
o viral pneumonia
o secondary bacterial infections
o encephalitis
Transmission
· Direct person-to-person contact
· Airborne droplet infection (coughing and sneezing)
· Contact with infected articles such as clothing and bedding
Prevention
Varicella vaccine
Mumps
Mumps is a disease, usually of children, caused by a virus. With mumps, your salivary glands swell. Specifically, these are the parotid glands, and they are located below and in front of each ear.The virus is spread by direct contact with an infected person's sneeze or cough. Humans are the only known natural hosts. The disease is more severe if you get it as an adult.
With nearly universal immunization in childhood, there are fewer than 1,000 cases of mumps per year. Most of the reported cases are in children aged 5-14 years. The infection is more common during late winter and spring.
Mumps, or epidemic parotitis, is a contagious viral disease.
Symptoms
· Fever
· Painful swelling of the salivary glands
· Headache
· Muscle ache
· Tiredness
· Loss of appetite
Complications
· Most healthy children recover with minimal complications
· Severe complications include:
o inflammation of the brain and other organs
o sterility in men
o mild forms of meningitis
o spontaneous abortion
o deafness
Transmission
· Airborne droplets of saliva and mucus infected with the mumps virus (coughing and sneezing)
· Touching an infected surface and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth
Prevention
Mumps vaccine (contained in the MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccine)
