Influenza, SARS and Whooping Cough Signs and Symptoms with Diagnosis and Treatment

An acute contagious respiratory infection marked by headache, prostration, fevers, muscle aches, cough, and sore throat. The disease usually strikes during the winter.

influenza virus A, Band C

• It is caused by influenza virus A, Band C.

INFLUENZA Characterized by

• sudden onset,
• An acute contagious respiratory infection marked by headache, prostration, fevers, muscle aches, cough, and sore throat.
• The disease usually strikes during the winter.
• The disease spreads primarily by inhalation of infectious aerosols, although spread by direct personal contact also is possible.
• In patients with serious pre-existing illnesses and people over 65, influenza frequently is fatal.
• fever,
• chills,
• mal­aise,
• muscular pains,
• cough.

INFLUENZA Causative agent is

• Orthomyxovirus
• The responsible virus is either
• influenza A (about 65% of cases)
• influenza B (about 35% of cases).
• Source of infection is secretions of respiratory tract of a case.

Age :

• Affects all ages especially children and elderly.

INFLUENZA Infection spreads by

• coughing,
• sneezing,
• droplet infection.

influenza virus A, Band C

• Incubation period 2 to 3 days.

Lab diagnosis for INFLUENZA

• Isolation of virus from secretions.
• Serodiagnosis – complement-fixing antibodies.

Vaccines

INFLUENZA Vaccines

• · Inactivated vaccines of particular strains of vi­rus.
• · Antigenic mutations of virus cause difficulty in production of effective vaccines.
• · Antiviral drugs-10o mg amantadine or
• rimantadine BD for 5 days.

Reye’s Syndrome

• It is a serious complication of Influenza B virus.
• There is fatty liver with encephalopathy.
• It occurs in chil­dren with viral fever who use aspirin.
• There is vomit­ing, signs of progressive CNS damage, hepatic injury and hypoglycemia.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

• SARS is a communicable viral disease caused by co­rona virus.

SARS Symptoms –

• Fever,
• Malaise,
• headache,
• body ache,
• cough,
• sore throat and running nose.
• Patient may deteriorate into respiratory insufficiency, and acute respiratory distress.
• In spite of intensive care and ventilatory support death may occur in 10% cases.

influenza virus A, Band C Signs and Symptoms with Diagnosis

Chest X-ray in SARS shows bilateral diffuse haziness.

• The disease is transmitted by contact with the secre­tions from eyes, nose, mouth and respiratory tract of the patient. SARS is not an air borne disease.
• The virus can survive for 24 hours at room tempera­ture and for long periods in the cold.
• Children are rarely affected by SARS.
• Prevention of SARS is by isolation of patients and screening of travellers.

SARS Treatment –

• There is no specific treatment of SARS.
• Ribavirin given IV with corticosteroids may cause clini­cal improvement.

WHOOPING COUGH OR PERTUSSISInfectious diseas

WHOOPING COUGH OR PERTUSSIS Infectious disease of children.

• There is cough, mild fever.
• The cough is a loud crowing inspiratory whoop. Causative agent is B pertussis.
• An acute, infectious disease characterized by a catarrhal stage, followed by a peculiar paroxysmal cough, ending in a whooping inspiration.
• The incubation period is 7 to 10 days.
• The disease is caused by a small, nonmotile, gram-negative bacillus, Bordetella pertussis.
• It infects only man.
• Infection occurs by droplet infection.

WHOOPING COUGH OR PERTUSSISInfectious diseas

Age –

• Usually below 5 years
• One attack gives lifelong immunity. Incubation period 1-3 weeks.

Complications of WHOOPING COUGH

• · Bronchitis
• · Bronchopneumonia
• · Bronchiectasis
• · Convulsions
• • Coma.

WHOOPING COUGH vaccination

• DPT (Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus) vaccine is iven in 3 doses IM ever month when infant is 6 wks old.