Ten common diseases occur in children

1.  Measles

Measles is an infection that mainly affects children, but can occur at any age. It is rare in the UK, due to immunization. It is an endemic disease. The illness is unpleasant, but most children fully recover. Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxoviruses of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses.Measles is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person's nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious—90% of people without immunity sharing living space with an infected person will catch it.

Signs andsymptoms

The classical signs and symptoms of measles include four-day fevers, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a generalized & skin rash.A characteristic marker of measles are Koplik's spots, small red spots with blue-white centers that appear inside the mouth.

The measles rash typically has a red or reddish brown blotchy appearance, and first usually shows up on the forehead, then spreads downward over the face, neck, and body, then down to the arms and feet.

Complications with measles are relatively common, ranging from mild and less serious complications such as diarrhea to more serious ones such as pneumonia, otitis media, and acute encephalitis.

Cause

Measles is caused by the measles virus, a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. Humans are the natural hosts of the virus; no other animal reservoirs are known to exist. This highly contagious virus is spread by coughing and sneezing via close personal contact or direct contact with secretions.

Risk factors for measles virus infection include the following:

• Children with immunodeficiency due to HIV or AIDS, leukemia, alkylating agents, or corticosteroid therapy, regardless of immunization status
• Travel to areas where measles is endemic or contact with travelers to endemic areas
• Infants who lose passive antibody before the age of routine immunization

Diagnosis

Clinical diagnosis of measles requires a history of fever of at least three days, with because of cough and sneezing. Observation of Koplik's spots is also diagnostic of measles.

Prevention

In developed countries, most children are immunized against measles by the age of 18 months,

generally as part of a three-part MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella). A second dose is usually given to children between the ages of four and five, to increase rates of immunity. Vaccination rates have been high enough to make measles relatively uncommon.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for measles. Most patients with uncomplicated measles will recover with rest and supportive treatment. It is, however, important to seek medical advice if the patient becomes more unwell, as they may be developing complications.

Some patients will develop pneumonia as a squeal to the measles. Other complications include ear infections, bronchitis, and encephalitis. Acute measles encephalitis has a mortality rate of 15%. While there is no specific treatment for measles encephalitis, antibiotics are required for bacterial pneumonia, sinusitis, and bronchitis that can follow measles.

2.    Chickenpox

It is a highly contagious disease caused by primary infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). Chickenpox is a common illness that causes an itchy rash and red spots or blisters (pox) all over the body. It is most common in children, but most people will get chickenpox at some point in their lives if they have not had the chickenpox vaccine.

Symptoms

Red, quite itchy, spots or blisters are typically scattered over the entire body, spreading to the arms, legs and face.

The child has a moderate fever and mild flu like symptoms prior to the rash becoming apparent.

It's possible for some children to have these early symptoms and to develop little or no rash, yet still to acquire long-term immunity from the condition.

As a rule, the older the infected child is, the more severe the disease.

Cause

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It can spread easily. You can get it from an infected person who sneezes, coughs, or shares food or drinks. You can also get it if you touch the fluid from a chickenpox blister.

A person who has chickenpox can spread the virus even before he or she has any symptoms. Chickenpox is most easily spread from 2 to 3 days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of varicella is primarily clinical, with typical early "prodromal" symptoms, and then the characteristic rash and oral-cavity sores. Confirmation of the diagnosis can be sought through either examination of the fluid within the vesicles of the rash, or by testing blood for evidence of an acute immunologic response.

Prevention

The spread of chickenpox can be prevented by isolating affected individuals. Contagion is by exposure to respiratory droplets, or direct contact with lesions, within a period lasting from three days prior to the onset of the rash, to four days after the onset of the rash.

You can prevent chickenpox by getting the chickenpox vaccine. A vaccinated person is likely to have a milder case of chickenpox if infected.The chickenpox vaccine is not part of the routine childhood vaccination, the vaccine is currently only offered to people who are particularly vulnerable to chickenpox.

Treatment

Most healthy children and adults need only home treatment for chickenpox. Home treatment includes resting and taking medicines to reduce fever and itching. You also can soak in oatmeal baths to help with itching.

Symptomatic treatment with calamine lotion and/or antihistamines, e.g. Piriton to reduce itching.

To reduce fever give paracetamol, e.g. Calpol and/or ibuprofen, e.g. Junifen.

Should the spots become secondarily infected with bacteria, an antibiotic may be necessary. Antiviral medicine is sometimes prescribed in severe cases.

3.  Whooping cough

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis. It is an infection of the respiratory system caused by the bacterium Bordetellapertussis (or B. pertussis). It's characterized by severe coughing spells, which can sometimes end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in.

It mainly affects infants younger than 6 months old before they're adequately protected by immunizations, and kids 11 to 18 years old whose immunity has started to fade.

Symptoms

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection affecting the respiratory system, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.

The condition is characterized by fever, nasal discharge and long fits of coughing followed by wheezy breathing and possibly vomiting. Symptoms are typically worse at night.

Cause

Whooping cough is caused by an infection with a bacterium known as Bordetella pertussis.

 The bacteria attach to the lining of the airways in the upper respiratory system and release toxins that lead to inflammation and swelling.

Diagnosis

Methods used in laboratory diagnosis include culturing of nasopharyngeal swabs on Bordet-Gengou medium, polymerase chain reaction(PCR), direct immunofluorescence (DFA), and serological methods. The bacteria can be recovered from the patient only during the first three weeks of illness, rendering culturing and DFA useless after this period, although PCR may have some limited usefulness for an additional three weeks.

Prevention

Whooping cough commonly affects infants and young children but can be prevented by immunization with pertussis vaccine. Pertussis vaccine is most commonly given in combination with the vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus.

For maximum protection against pertussis, children need five DTaP shots. The first three vaccinations are given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The fourth vaccination is given between 15 and 18 months of age, and a fifth is given when a child enters school, at 4-6 years of age.
Treatment

It's a bacterial infection, so it can be treated with antibiotics, usually erythromycin or a family of antibiotics like erythromycin. Erythromycin is taken for 2 weeks.

4.  Erythema infectiosum

Erythema infectiosum or fifth disease is one of several possible manifestations of infection by erythrovirus, previously called parvovirus. The disease is also referred to as slapped cheek syndrome, slap cheek, slap face or slapped face.

Symptoms

The condition is due to infection with Parvovirus B19. The child will sometimes initially develop mild flu-like symptoms.

All will eventually have red specks, firstly on the cheeks, and later spreading to involve the arms, thighs and buttocks.

These are often blurred which makes it look like the child has been slapped.

For this reason, fifth disease is often known as 'slapped cheek' syndrome. It can last up to 14 days and is mostly seen in children between the ages of 4 and 12.

Cause
It is caused by parvovirus B19. A human virus, parvovirus B19 is not the same parvovirus that veterinarians may be concerned about in pets, especially dogs, and it cannot be passed from humans to animals or vice versa.

Diagnosis

Usually, your doctor can diagnose fifth disease by seeing the typical "slapped cheek" rash without fever or other signs of illness. Fifth disease rarely is diagnosed before the rash appears, since there may not be any early symptoms or they are mild and nonspecific. 

Prevention

Fifth disease is spread in the droplets of coughs and sneezes, on dirty tissues, and on drinking glasses and eating utensils. It is difficult to avoid exposure to the illness, because fifth disease is most contagious. When outbreaks of fifth disease occur in a community, frequent hand washing may help to prevent spread of the illness. 

 Treatment

It cannot be treated, but disappears by itself. It is usually quite a mild illness.

5.  roseola infantum

Roseola also known as sixth disease, exanthema subitum, and roseola infantum. It is a viral illness in young kids, most commonly affecting those between 6 months and 2 years old. It is usually marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

Symptoms

A child with three-day-fever has a high fever for three days.

The fever then drops and the child develops a rash consisting of pale, reddish spots, perhaps with small heads. It affects the body and spreads to the arms and legs, lasting for about 12-14 hours. Then it’s over. It is mostly seen in children under the age of three years.

Cause

Roseola is caused by two common viruses. The viruses belong to the family of herpes viruses, but they do not cause the cold sores or genital infections that herpes simplex viruses can cause.
Diagnosis

Roseola is diagnosed through a medical history and physical exam. The doctor often knows its roseola if your child had a fever and now has a distinct rash.

Prevention

Since there is no vaccine available, the only way to prevent roseola is to avoid any exposure to the virus. Keep your child away from the infected person. Maintaining proper hygiene is very important for the prevention of this infection.
Treatment

Undress the child to ensure they aren't too warm.

Give the child fever reducing medication (such as paracetamol (e.g. Calpol) and ibuprofen (e.g. Junifen)) to control their temperature and plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

6.  Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever (also called scarlatina in older literature) is an infectious disease which most commonly affects 4–8-year-old children.  Scarlet fever is usually spread by inhalation.
Symptoms

This condition is caused by a strain of streptococcus bacterium and is caught through droplet infection from the coughs and sneezes of an infected individual.

The child has a slight to moderate fever, a sore throat and a flushed face.

The characteristic rash, which is often located in their armpits or groin, spreading to the torso and neck is typically slightly rough to the touch and pink-red in color. The child's skin peels and they get a coarse, pink tongue – a condition known as strawberry tongue.

Cause

It is caused by a toxin (erythrogenic exotoxin) released by Streptococcuspyogenes or group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus - the disease occurs in a small percentage of patients with strep infections, such as strepthroat or impetigo.

Diagnosis
Scarlet fever can be diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms. Complete blood count (CBC) findings characteristic of Scarlet fever would show marked leukocytosis withneutrophilia and conserved or increased eosinophil, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
Prevention

Bacteria are spread by direct contact with infected people, or by droplets exhaled by an infected person. Avoid contact with infected people.

Treatment

Antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria that causes the throat infection. This is crucial to prevent rheumatic fever, a serious complication of strep throat and scarlet fever.

7.  Scabies

Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a tiny parasite (mite) called Sarcoptesscabiei that can live and multiply on skin. Scabies is passed between people by prolonged skin-to-skin contact. Scabies is extremely contagious and spreads rapidly in crowded conditions such as hospitals, child-care facilities, and other situations where people spend extended periods of time in close contact with each other.

Symptoms

Scabies causes severe itching that is usually worse at night and a rash with tiny blisters or sores.

Small children and older adults tend to have the worst itching. Children typically have worse skin reactions.

If this is the first time you have had scabies, it may be several weeks before you have itching and skin sores. But if you have had it before, symptoms will probably start in a few days.

Cause

Scabies caused by tiny mites that burrow into your skin. It is spread by close contact with someone who has scabies. Scabies can also be spread by sharing towels, bed sheets, and other personal belongings.

Diagnosis

A doctor will suspect scabies based on your symptoms.Sometimes a doctor confirms a diagnosis by looking for signs of mites on a sample of your skin. The doctor gently scrapes some dry skin from an affected area and then looks at it under a microscope. This test is not painful for most people.

Prevention

To prevent re-infestation and to prevent the mites from spreading to other people, take these steps:

·         Use hot, soapy water to wash all clothing, towels and bedding you used at least three days before treatment. Dry with high heat.

·         Consider placing items you can't wash in a sealed plastic bag and leaving it in an out-of-the-way place, such as in your garage, for a couple of weeks. 

Treatment

Scabies will not go away on its own. You need to use a special cream or lotion that a doctor prescribes. In severe cases, your doctor may also give you pills to take.

8.  Impetigo

Impetigo is a bacterial infection of the surface of the skin. It is more common in children(especially 2- to 5-year-olds) than in adults.Impetigo is contagious and is caused by strains of both staph and strep bacteria.

Symptoms

There are two forms of impetigo:

• Non-bullous impetigo: Thisis the more common form, caused by both staph and strep bacteria. This form initially presents as small red papules similar to insect bites. These lesions rapidly evolve to small blisters and then to pustules that finally scab over with a characteristic honey-colored crust. This entire process takes about one week.
• Bullous impetigo: This form of impetigo is caused only by staph bacteria. These bacteria produce a toxin that reduces cell-to-cell stickiness (adhesion) causing separation between the top skin layer (epidermis) and the lower layer (dermis). This leads to the formation of a blister. (The medical term for blister is bulla.) Bullae can appear in various skin areas, especially the buttocks and trunk. These blisters are fragile and contain a clear yellow-colored fluid.

Cause

Impetigo is a contagious, superficial infection of the skin caused by Staphylococcus (staph) and Streptococcus (strep) bacteria. 

Diagnosis

Doctors usually diagnose impetigo by looking at the distinctive sores. Usually, lab tests aren't necessary. But if the sores don't clear, even with antibiotic treatment, your doctor may take a sample of the liquid produced by a sore and test it to see what types of antibiotics might work best on it. 

Prevention

• Keeping the skin clean is the best way to keep it healthy. Treat cuts, scrapes, insect bites and other wounds right away by washing the affected areas.
• Don't touch the sores.
•  Wash your hands frequently, particularly after touching infected skin.
• Treat suspected or confirmed cases quickly.
• Cover cuts and grazes with a plaster or dressing.

Treatment

Impetigo is treated with antibiotics. For cases of mild impetigo, a doctor will prescribe an antibiotic ointment or cream to put on the sores. For cases of more serious impetigo, a doctor may also prescribe antibiotic pills.

9.  Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

RSV is a very common childhood illness. It's even more common than seasonal flu. "It causes a lot more problems for children than influenza does.

Symptoms

In adults and older children, RSV usually causes mild cold-like signs and symptoms. These include congested or runny nose, Dry cough, Low-grade fever, Sore throat, Mild headache.

Causes

RSV is the most common germ that causes lung and airway infections in infants and young children.

The infection can occur in people of all ages. The virus spreads through tiny droplets that go into the air when a sick person blows their nose, coughs, or sneezes.

Diagnosis

Many hospitals and clinics can rapidly test for RSV using a sample of fluid taken from the nose with a cotton swab.

Prevention

A simple way to help prevent RSV infection is to wash your hands often, especially before touching your baby. It is important to make certain that other people, especially caregivers, take steps to avoid giving RSV to your baby.

Treatment

Antibiotics do not treat RSV.

Mild infections go away without treatment.

Infants and children with a severe RSV infection may be admitted to the hospital. Treatment will include:

• Oxygen
• Moist (humidified) air
• Fluids through a vein (by IV)

A breathing machine (ventilator) may be needed.

10.              Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease, which infects only livestock. A common childhood illness, hand, foot, and mouth disease causes a fever with blisters or sores inside the mouth and on the palms and soles of the feet. 

Symptoms

At first your child may feel tired, get a sore throat, or have a fever of around 101^oF (38^oC) to 103^oF (39^oC). Then in a day or two, sores or blisters may appear in or on the mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks. In some cases a skin rash may appear before the blisters do. The blisters may break open and crust over.

Causes

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by a variety of viruses called enteroviruses. In the United States, the disease is usually caused by a virus known as coxsackievirus A16. This virus usually goes around in the summer and early fall.

Diagnosis

A doctor can tell if your child has hand-foot-and-mouth disease by the symptoms you describe and by looking at the sores and blisters. Tests usually aren't needed.          

Prevention

Here is no vaccine to protect against the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease.

A person can lower their risk of being infected by

• Washing hands often with soap and water, especially after changing diapers and using the toilet. Visit CDC’s Clean Hands Save Lives! For more information.
• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and soiled items, including toys.
• Avoiding close contact such as kissing, hugging, or sharing eating utensils or cups with people with hand, foot, and mouth disease.

If a person has mouth sores, it might be painful to swallow. However, drinking liquids is important to stay hydrated. If a person cannot swallow enough liquids, these may need to be given through an IV in their vein.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. However, some things can be done to relieve symptoms, such as

• Taking over-the-counter medications to relieve pain and fever (Caution: Aspirin should not be given to children.)
• Using mouthwashes or sprays that numb mouth pain

Persons who are concerned about their symptoms should contact their health care provider.