Sharing two articles below by Reiner Gloor of PHAP, in his weekly columns in BusinessWorld, on (a) on hand, foot and mouth disease and EV 71, and (b) meningococcemia or meningococcal septicemia. Toxins enter the blood, blood vessels are broken, and rashes or brownish spots occur.
Photos below, upper half are symptoms and effects of HFMD and EV 71; lower half photos are effects of meningococcemia which, if not properly treated, can result in death within 24 hours of the patient. Scary infectious diseases that generally attack children.
(1) Hand, Foot and Mouth disease
July 20, 2012
Medicine Cabinet -- Reiner W. Gloor
http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=55424
Mystery no more. This, after the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Cambodia and the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that a severe form of Hand, Food and Mouth Disease (HFMD) caused the death of about 54 children mostly under three years old.
Following disease surveillance, a Joint Statement by the MoH in Cambodia and the WHO said that majority of the patients tested positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV-71) which caused HMFD while some patients tested positive for other pathogens.
A joint investigation with support from WHO, the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was launched after the Kantha Bopha Children’s hospital reported an unusually high number of illnesses and deaths among young children since April.
The WHO explained that HFMD is a common viral illness that mostly affects infants and children below five years old. HFMD is usually a mild disease, and nearly all patients recover in seven to 10 days without medical treatment. It is most commonly caused by coxsackievirus A16 which usually results in a mild self-limiting disease with few complications.
However, HFMD is also caused by Enteroviruses, including EV71, which has been associated with serious complications, and may be fatal. One of the complications is dehydration since some are not able to swallow enough liquids due to painful mouth sores. Furthermore, the EV71 has been associated with meningitis and encephalitis, and may cause severe complications, including neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory problems.
The CDC said that HFMD usually starts with a fever, poor appetite, a vague feeling of being unwell, and sore throat. One or two days after fever starts, painful sores develop usually in the back of the mouth which begins as small red spots that blister and often become ulcers. A skin rash then develops on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet or on the knees, elbows, buttocks or genital area.
