Enterovirus infections are more common in children. They are a group of diseases caused by several varieties of viruses. Having overcome one of them, it is no longer possible to get sick with it again - a person develops a stable immunity for life, however, it forms only to a certain serological type of the virus and does not protect against others. Therefore, in a child, enterovirus infection can occur repeatedly.
Causes of infection
Viruses enter the environment from a patient or from a virus carrier - a child or an adult in whom the disease does not appear, but at the same time there are infectious agents in the intestine, which, together with the feces, are released into the external environment. Virus carriers are people who have already had an enterovirus infection and have recovered, or those whose virus has entered the body, but could not cause the disease due to their strong immunity. This condition can persist for five months. Viruses, once in the external environment, can persist for quite some time; they can withstand various kinds of adverse effects. Infectious agents are transmitted with the patient's saliva during sneezing and coughing, as well as the fecal-oral method, which occurs if hygiene rules are not observed. In addition, an enterovirus infection in a child may occur as a result of drinking contaminated raw water and swallowing toys with viruses on their surface. Most often, children aged three to ten years become infected with the infection.
in children
When infectious agents enter the body, they immediately move to the lymph nodes, where they begin to multiply actively. Often the disease has an acute onset. The first sign is a sudden increase in temperature to 38-39 degrees. Such indicators last 3-5 days, then they normalize. In most cases, this symptom manifests itself spasmodically: the fever lasts for 2-3 days, then decreases for 2-3 days, then grows again and normalizes again. In addition to this phenomenon, in a child, enterovirus infection is manifested by drowsiness, a state of weakness, and nausea. As already mentioned, viruses multiply in the lymph nodes, so you can notice their increase under the jaw and on the neck.
What forms of enterovirus infection in a child
Enteroviruses are able to attack various organs: the nervous system (central and peripheral), the mucous membranes of the eyes, oropharynx, intestines, skin, heart, muscles, liver, and in boys, the testes. If the mucous membrane of the oropharynx is affected, enteroviral angina develops. A characteristic sign of how such an enterovirus infection manifests itself in children is a rash in the form of fluid-filled vesicles on the tonsils. Over time, the bubbles burst, and ulcers form in their place. As they recover, they disappear. If the virus affects the eyes, conjunctivitis develops, manifested by swelling and redness of the eyes, lacrimation, photophobia. If muscles are affected, myositis occurs, characterized by muscle pain in the legs, arms, chest. When infected with infectious agents of the intestinal mucosa, loose stools are observed. If enteroviruses attacked the heart, myocarditis, endocarditis, or pericarditis may develop depending on the lesion site. Damage to the nervous system is manifested by meningitis or encephalitis, and the liver by acute hepatitis. When the virus acts on the skin, exanthema can appear, and with the defeat of the testicles in boys, orchitis develops.
Treatment
There are no specific treatments. Therapy is usually carried out at home, hospitalization is necessary only in case of damage to the heart, nervous system, and the presence of fever. While the temperature is high, the child should be in bed and drink plenty of fluids. Symptomatic treatment is prescribed depending on the form of infection .