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Types of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Types of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Types of Pediatric Infectious Diseases


Surya Hospital

Surya Hospital

Surya Hospital 9 Min Read | 191

Pediatric Infectious diseases are conditions caused by harmful or dangerous agents (known as pathogens) which get into your body. The most frequent culprits include parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Certain infectious diseases can spread from person to person. Certain types are spread by insects or other creatures. In addition, consuming contaminated water or food or coming into contact with organisms in the environment can expose you to additional infections. Contune reading this blog to learn more about the different types of pediatric infectious diseases, their symptoms, diagnosis, management and treatment.

Depending on the organism causing the illness, signs and symptoms of pediatric infectious disease might vary, but fever and fatigue are common ones. Mild infections can be cured by rest and home remedies, while some life-threatening infections may require hospitalization.

Vaccines can prevent a wide range of infectious diseases, including chickenpox and measles. Hand washing thoroughly and frequently also helps shield you against the majority of infectious diseases.

What are Pediatric Infectious Diseases?

Pediatric infectious diseases are conditions caused by harmful organisms (pathogens) that get into your body from external sources. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and, in rare cases, prions. Infectious diseases can be transmitted by contaminated food, water, or soil, as well as from bug bites and other individuals.

What Are The Different Types Of Pediatric Infectious Diseases?

The following are the different types of pediatric infectious diseases:

  • Bacterial infections
  • Viral infections
  • Fungal infections
  • Parasitic infections
  • Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs/prion diseases).

Bacterial Infections:

Bacteria are unicellular organisms (single-celled)  with their instructions written on a small piece of DNA. There are bacteria wherever we look, even on our skin and throughout our bodies. While many bacteria are beneficial or even harmless, certain bacteria can cause illness by releasing toxins. Bacteria can survive in almost any type of environment, from extreme heat to intense cold, and some can even live in radioactive waste.  There are trillions of strains of bacteria, and few cause diseases in humans. Some of them live inside the human body, such as in the gut or airways, without causing harm.  Certain “good” bacteria attack “bad” bacteria and prevent them from causing diseases. However, some bacterial diseases can be fatal. These include:

  • Diphtheria
  • Cholera
  • Dysentery
  • Tuberculosis
  • Bubonic plague
  • Typhus
  • Typhoid

Apart from the above, other bacterial infections are:

  • Pneumonia
  • Bacterial meningitis
  • Otitis media
  • Gastritis
  • Upper respiratory tract infections
  • Tuberculosis
  • Sinusitis
  • Eye infections
  • Food poisonings
  • Skin infections
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Sexually transmitted infections

In general, bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. However, certain resistant strains survive even after the treatment.

Viral Infections:

A virus is a bit of information (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a capsid, which serves as protection. Viruses are significantly smaller than human cells and are incapable of self-replication. Once inside your cells, they replicate themselves using the machinery found there.  Viruses enter a host and cling to a particular cell. Their genetic material is released as they enter the cell. The virus multiplies as a result of this material forcing the cell to replicate it. New viruses that infect new cells are released by dying cells. Additionally, a virus may specifically target young children or infants.

Viruses may remain dormant for a while before multiplying again. Although the infected individual may seem to be completely cured, a reactivation of the virus could cause them to become sick once more.

Common viral infections include:

  • Common cold
  • Flu (influenza)
  • Covid -19
  • Hepatitis
  • Stomach flu (gastroenteritis) 
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  • Zika virus
  • Ebola
  • Dengue fever
  • Ebola
  • Chickenpox

Antiviral drugs can assist in reducing some viruses' symptoms while the illness is treated. They have the ability to either stop the virus from spreading or strengthen the host's defenses against the infection's impacts.  Antibiotics cannot destroy viruses. The usage of these medications raises the possibility of antibiotic resistance while doing little to stop the virus.

Fungal Infections: 

Fungi are diverse organisms, just like bacteria. In your body, they exist. You may become ill if your fungus becomes overgrown or if disease-causing fungi enter your body through your mouth, nose, or any skin cuts.

Common fungal infections include:

  • Fungal nail infection
  • Oral thrush
  • Vaginal candidiasis
  • Athlete's foot (ringworm infection)
  • Histoplasmosis
  • Coccidioidomycosis

Parasitic infections:

Parasites live and reproduce inside the bodies of other organisms. Helminths, or worms, and certain single-celled creatures, or protozoa, are examples of parasites.

Common parasitic infections include:

  • Hookworm infections
  • Pinworm infections
  • Giardiasis
  • Toxoplasmosis 

Who Is Most Susceptible To Getting Infectious Diseases?

Anyone can get an infectious disease. If you travel to regions where some highly transmissible diseases are present or if you have a compromised immune system, you may be more vulnerable.  An increased chance of contracting an infectious disease is among:

  • Infants, young children, pregnant women, and older people above 60 years of age
  • People who are not vaccinated against common infectious diseases
  • People who have a weak immune system, especially people who are undergoing treatment for cancer, HIV
  • Healthcare workers
  • People visit locations where they can come into contact with mosquitoes carrying diseases like the dengue virus, the Zika virus, and malaria.

What Are The Symptoms Of Pediatric Infectious Diseases?

Depending on the sickness type, pediatric infectious disease symptoms vary. Fungal infections typically cause localized symptoms like redness and itching. Bacterial and viral infections can have symptoms in many areas of your body, such as:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Congestion
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (gastrointestinal symptoms)

How Do Pediatric Infectious Diseases Transmit?

There are numerous methods by which infectious diseases can spread, depending on the type of infection. Fortunately, there are easy ways to avoid infection most of the time. Pathogens frequently enter your body through your mouth, nose, and skin cuts. Diseases can spread:

  • From person to person through sneeze or cough droplets
  • From direct contact with an infected person through kissing or sex
  • By sharing the utensils from the infected person
  • Through mosquito or animal bites
  • From contact with poopes of infected persons or animals
  • From contaminated food and water
  • From blood transfusions, organ transplants
  • From a pregnant mother to a fetus

How To Diagnose Pediatric Infectious Diseases?

Healthcare professionals diagnose pediatric infectious diseases by conducting lab tests. These include:

  • Nose or throat swabbing
  • Blood, urine, stool, and saliva samples
  • Biopsy
  • Imagings like X-rays, CT, and MRI

How To Manage Pediatric Infectious Diseases?

The treatment for pediatric infectious disease depends on its type whether it is caused by bacteria, virus, fungi, parasite or others. Pediatric infectious disease treatment includes:

  • Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics
  • Viral infections are generally managed with over-the-counter medications
  • Fungal infections are treated with antifungal medications (Ex. Fluconazole, clotrimazole)
  • Parasitic infections are treated with anti-parasitic drugs (Ex. Mebendazole)
  • Prion disease: There are no treatments to cure prion disease.

Conclusion

Knowing the wider scope of different types of pediatric infectious diseases is critical to healthcare management. There is an array of bacterial, viral, and fungal, as well as parasitic infections, each requiring a specific strain of prevention and treatment. The key to the control of these diseases is the emphasis on prevention by vaccination and hygiene as well as the avoidance of exposure to disease-causing organisms and the early or prompt diagnosis and treatment of such conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are infections and types?
A: Infections happen when microorganisms enter the body and multiply, causing disease and illness. Different kinds of pathogens cause different types of diseases. Mainly they come in four types like bacteria, viruses, fungus, and parasites.

Q: How are infections transmitted and spread?
A: Many infections can spread in more than one way. Some are transmitted through the air, by contact with an infected person, through blood or body fluids, contaminated food or water, or by insects and animals.

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