PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Infectious and non-infectious diseases
Infectious and non INFECTIOUS diseases
- Poliomyelitis
- Rabies
- Chickenpox
- Avian Influenza
- Common Cold
Polio Symptoms
There are three basic patterns of polio infection: subclinical infections, nonparalytic, and paralytic. Most people have subclinical infection, and may not have symptoms.
SUBCLINICAL INFECTION SYMPTOMS
General discomfort or uneasiness (malaise)
Headache
Red throat
Slight fever
Sore throat
Vomiting
People with subclinical polio infection might not have symptoms, or mild symptoms may last 72 hours or less.
POLIO PREVENTION
Polio immunization (vaccine) effectively prevents poliomyelitis in most people (immunization is over 90% effective).
Rabies
Causes
Rabies is spread by infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or broken skin. The virus travels from the wound to the brain, where it causes swelling, or inflammation. This inflammation leads to symptoms of the disease. Most rabies deaths occur in children.
In the past, human cases in the United States usually resulted from a dog bite, but recently, more cases of human rabies have been linked to bats and raccoons. Although dog bites are a common cause of rabies in developing countries, there have been no reports of rabies caused by dog bites in the United States for a number of years due to widespread animal vaccination.
Other wild animals that can spread the rabies virus include:
Foxes
Skunks
Prevention
To help prevent rabies:
Avoid contact with animals you don't know.
Get vaccinated if you work in a high-risk occupation or travel to countries with a high rate of rabies.
Make sure your pets receive the proper immunizations. Ask your veterinarian.
Follow quarantine regulations on importing dogs and other mammals in disease-free countries.
CHICKENPOX
Symptoms »
Most children with chickenpox have the following symptoms before the rash appears:
Fever
Headache
Stomach ache
The chickenpox rash occurs about 10 to 21 days after coming into contact with someone who had the disease. The average child develops 250 to 500 small, itchy, fluid-filled blisters over red spots on the skin.
The blisters are usually first seen on the face, middle of the body, or scalp.
After a day or two, the blisters become cloudy and then scab. Meanwhile, new blisters form in groups. They often appear in the mouth, in the vagina, and on the eyelids.Children with skin problems, such as eczema, may get thousands of blisters.
Prevention
Because chickenpox is airborne and very contagious before the rash even appears, it is difficult to avoid.
A vaccine to prevent chickenpox is part of a child's routine immunization schedule.The vaccine usually prevents the chickenpox disease completely or makes the illness very mild.
Talk to your doctor if you think your child might be at high risk for complications and might have been exposed. Immediate preventive measures may be important. Giving the vaccine early after exposure may still reduce the severity of the disease.
Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)
Symptoms of avian flu infection in humans depend on the strain of virus.
The H5N1 virus in humans causes typical flu-like symptoms, such as:
Cough
Diarrhea
Trouble breathing
Fever greater than 100.4°F (38°C)
Headache
General ill feeling (malaise)
Muscle aches
Runny nose
Sore throat
PREVENTION
At this time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Does not recommend against travel to countries affected by H5N1 .
If traveling to an area that has H5N1 outbreak:
Avoid visits to live-bird markets
Use protective clothing and special breathing masks if you work with birds.
Avoid undercooked or uncooked meat reduces the risk of exposure to avian flu and other foodborne diseases
THE COMMON COLD
Between one and three days after a cold virus enters the body, symptoms start developing, such as:
runny nose
congestion
sneezing
weakened senses of taste and smell
scratchy throat
cough
Infants and young children are more likely than adults and teens to develop a fever. Smokers usually have more severe symptoms than non-smokers.
PREVENTION
Colds are extremely difficult to prevent entirely. The following suggestions may help:
Avoid close contact with people who have a cold, especially during the first few days when they are most likely to spread the infection.
Wash hands after touching someone who has a cold, after touching an object they have touched, and after blowing ones nose. If a child has a cold, wash his or her toys after play.
Keep fingers away from ones nose and eyes to avoid infecting oneself with cold virus particles that may have been picked up.
Put up a second hand towel in the bathroom for healthy people to use.
Keep an eye on the humidity of one's environment so that sinuses do not dry out.
