A persistent infection is a disease caused by bacteria that live in the human body. Some of them are not harmful to health, while others are a constant threat. What kind of infection is this?
Description
Persistence is the ability of microorganisms to dwell in the human body for a long time and not cause clinical symptoms. The mechanism that triggers the development or activates a persistent infection depends entirely on the state of human health and how strong his body is. This infection can have a latent form, which does not allow detecting it using conventional diagnostic measures. Under the influence of external factors, persistent infection can also appear clinically. These factors include:
- decreased immunity;
- stress;
- hypothermia;
- against the background of another disease, the protective functions of the body decreased.
The patient with a latent form of the disease is considered healthy, therapy is not used for treatment.
Causative agents of infection
Not all microorganisms can exist in the body and do not give themselves away. Persistent viruses must necessarily have such a property as intracellular existence in a microorganism. These agents include:
- chlamydia
- Helicobacter;
- mycoplasmas;
- viruses of the herpes virus group (in the Russian Federation and in the CIS countries more than 22 million people suffer from persistent herpetic infection);
- toxoplasma;
- hepatitis;
- HIV
These viruses tend not to be recognized by the immune system. This happens due to the integration of the virus with the human genome, so the infection process is slowly developing and may be left without attention at all.
Chronic persistent infection
Any cells of the body can be affected by it, and it manifests itself only in cases where a person has previously been infected. The following individuals are at risk for chronic persistent infection:
- blood donors;
- Pregnant
- premature babies;
- medical staff;
- cancer patients;
- immunocompromised patients.
Chronic persistent infection has three forms: mild, moderate and severe. Since such an infection can affect various organs and systems of the body, it can manifest itself in muscle pain, general weakness of the body, gastrointestinal pathologies, fever, hepatitis, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Diagnosis and treatment
The presence or absence of a persistent infection can only be confirmed by laboratory tests. It:
- cystoscopic examination;
- molecular biological diagnostics;
- linked immunosorbent assay.
Doctors face a difficult task if a persistent infection is detected, since this pathology is difficult to treat. As a rule, a comprehensive treatment is carried out, which includes two aspects:
- antiviral therapy;
- immune therapy.
The course of treatment is selected only by the attending physician and always individually. A persistent infection is a very complex pathology that occurs in each patient in different ways, therefore, in treatment, an approach based on the general medical history and on the patient’s health is important.
Features of persistent infection in children
Since the body is weak in children and will only get stronger in the teenage period, it is vulnerable enough to develop this kind of infection. Viral diseases are especially susceptible to newborns and children under the age of ten years. Kids can “catch” a persistent infection in two ways:
- in contact with an infectious environment, a sick animal or from another sick person;
- from the environment. After all, the child’s body can not in any way prevent the virus, freely entering the favorable environment and multiplying there.
When more than two pathogens enter the child's body, an infectious disease appears, which makes itself felt. By the following signs, you can identify a viral disease:
- heat (temperature ranges from 38 to 40 degrees);
- lethargy;
- persistent headache;
- heavy sweating;
- nausea and vomiting;
- lack of appetite;
- muscle pain.
In addition to these symptoms, complications can also be added. As a rule, they arise if you do not consult a doctor on time. The following are these complications:
- cough;
- complete loss of voice or hoarseness;
- nasal congestion;
- discharge of pus from the sinuses;
- fever.
First aid
Before the diagnosis is accurately diagnosed and treatment is prescribed, you can give the baby first aid at home:
- the menu should contain vegetables, fruits and dairy products;
- bring down the temperature - for babies under the age of one, you can put a candle, and for those who are older, you can give the baby medicine "Ibuprofen". If the temperature is less than 39 degrees, you can try to bring it down by rubbing the body with a solution of water with vinegar;
- bed rest;
- give the child a lot of fluid (at least two to three liters per day). Warm herbal tea is best. You can add linden, currants, honey or raspberries to it.
At home, treatment for persistent infection in babies is carried out. The pediatrician prescribes drugs that will not harm the baby. A child can be placed in a hospital if he has a severe form of infection.
Persistent viral infections remain incompletely studied, which leads to many difficulties in their diagnosis and treatment. Some viruses can last a lifetime in the body in a latent form, others immediately manifest themselves in a severe form. In any case, it is impossible to cope independently with this phenomenon. It is necessary to consult a virologist or immunologist, as these specialists are the most competent in this matter.