The so-called "Turkish chicken pox", caused by the Coxsackie virus, is an infectious disease. Its causative agent belongs to the family of enteroviruses that multiply and live in the human gastrointestinal tract. These viruses enter the environment with feces, so most infections occur in summer and autumn. After all, it is during this period that frequent pollution of water and soil with feces occurs.
Illness in a child
To such a disease as "Turkish chickenpox", children aged 3-10 are susceptible mainly. Infection in most cases occurs at the age of 4-6 years. Coxsackievirus is most common in temperate countries.
Babies under six months old are practically immune to this infection, as their mother's antibodies are present in their blood. They are passed to the baby through the placenta during fetal development. The duration of their activity is on average 6 months, which explains the baby's strong immunity to many diseases during this period.
Antibodies are still partially transmitted to the baby during breastfeeding. After suffering "Turkish chickenpox" the baby does not acquire sufficient immunity. Therefore, atthe subsequent penetration of the virus into the body, it can be re-infected, but the disease itself will proceed in a milder form.
How does the disease progress in adults?
"Turkish chickenpox", as mentioned earlier, occurs in most cases in young patients due to their lack of antibodies to pathology, but even an adult can become infected with this disease. For elderly patients, such an infection is of great danger. In older people, the Coxsackie virus can cause complications such as:
- myocarditis;
- paralysis;
- encephalitis;
- diabetes mellitus and pericarditis.
Specialists counted about 29 serotypes related to Coxsackie enteroviruses. This infection is usually divided into groups A and B. The first type of virus is less dangerous. When infected, the patient develops red plaques on the skin around the mouth, lower and upper extremities. In this case, local therapy helps to quickly get rid of wounds.
The second type of viruses can cause an intestinal infection, fever, diarrhea in a patient. In addition, it can affect the heart muscle and respiratory tract. The disease proceeds in most cases asymptomatically.
Ways of infection with the virus
"Turkish chicken pox" (Coxsackie) is transmitted during contact with the patient. A small patient almost always becomes infected when communicating with another child. The virus can enter the body in the following ways:
- airborne(from an infected child);
- alimentary way (through dirty household items and hands).
To prevent infection, it is necessary to avoid mass gatherings of people, observe hygiene and completely exclude contact with sick children. If you notice that a child has picked up a dirty object while walking, you should thoroughly disinfect and wash his hands to reduce the risk of a dangerous pathogen entering the body.
When infected with this virus, the patient initially has a high fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, sore throat and cough. The duration of this incubation period is 1-2 days. Sore spots in the mouth develop a few days after the onset of fever and develop into small papules. These rashes may burst during illness.
Symptoms in children
The main signs of the disease in young patients include:
- temperature increase to 39 degrees;
- formation of small painful rashes in the mouth, on the legs, face and hands of the baby;
- pain in the throat;
- vomiting and diarrhea.
Turkish chickenpox is often called the hand-foot-mouth disease. It is on these parts of the body that painful sores occur. At an early stage of the disease, pale pink spots form, which then develop into vesicles (vesicles). After their appearance, the child is worried about severe itching, the rash looks like chickenpox. The rashes burst andturn into painful sores. The condition of a sick baby improves with a favorable course of the disease in about a week.
In some cases, in babies, 2-3 weeks after recovery, detachment and severe fragility of the nail plate are observed. Experts cannot yet explain this phenomenon, but according to statistics, it is mainly children who have been ill who suffer from this.
The "Turkish chicken pox" lasts 2-5 days, during the illness the appetite worsens and general weakness appears. Enterovirus fever, many people become infected in the process of relaxing at sea. This pathology does not require special treatment.
"Turkish chicken pox", the symptoms of which can vary from baby to baby (it all depends on the type of virus), can also be accompanied by severe headaches.
Other signs of Coxsackievirus infection
In adults, "Turkish chickenpox" is much less common than in children. Their symptoms are as follows:
- Fever, high temperature and chills.
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes and conjunctivitis.
- Pain in the muscles, especially in the upper body.
- Vomiting and loose stools.
- Rashes on the legs and arms or reddening of the skin.
In some cases, "Turkish chickenpox", the photo of which is presented in the article, leads to the development of myalgia or Bornholm's disease. When the disease bother attacks of pain in the muscles with an interval of 1-2 hours. Most often they occur in the upper partbody: intercostal muscles, neck and chest. Similar attacks can be repeated for several days, after which the disease recedes. With an atypical form of the Coxsackie virus, pericarditis, myocarditis, mesadenitis, encephalitis, as well as inflammation of the appendages and ovaries can develop.
Coxsackievirus: stages of the disease
"Turkish chickenpox", which has an incubation period of 4-6 days, is especially dangerous in summer and autumn. After all, the virus that causes the disease feels comfortable in a humid environment. Its particles accumulate in the small intestine or on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx.
At the first stage, getting rid of "Turkish chicken pox" is much easier. An infected child is prescribed antiviral medicines.
At the second stage, the infectious agent penetrates into the blood, it rapidly spreads through the bloodstream throughout the human body. One part of the viruses remains in the intestines and stomach, the other settles in the muscles and lymph.
At the third stage, pathogens, having penetrated into one or another organ, damage its cells, causing an inflammatory process in it. During the last stage, immunity is activated, T-lymphocytes begin to kill intruders.
"Turkish windmill" and "Russian" - is there a difference?
Coxsackievirus, as you know, belongs to the family of enteroviruses, and chicken pox - to herpesviruses. It should be remembered that with the hand-foot-mouth syndrome, a rash on the scalp does not occur, thisdistinguishes the disease from ordinary chickenpox.
To make sure the diagnosis is correct, it is better to take the necessary tests. For confirmation, the doctor takes a swab from the nasopharynx and analyzes the stool from the patient. The obtained samples are then examined by the PCR method to identify the virus genotype. What other tests need to be taken, the doctor will tell you based on the symptoms of the disease and the general condition.
Turkish chickenpox treatment
The first thing to do when infected with this disease is to take general measures, including taking vitamin complexes, bed rest and drinking enough fluids.
If a child is concerned about itching during illness, then Viaton baby or Fenistil is prescribed. Various antiseptics are used to relieve sore throat and eliminate rashes in the mouth. To get rid of unpleasant symptoms faster, you can rinse your mouth with furatsilin.
Bubbles on the skin are recommended to be treated with ordinary brilliant green to avoid the development of bacterial infections. Ibuprofen, children's paracetamol, Nurofen or Cefekon will help get rid of headaches and reduce high fever. Analgin with such a disease should not be given.
In case of violation of the stool and vomiting, take "Regidron". When the disease is severe, antiviral drugs may be prescribed. In some cases, the patient is prescribed drugs based on interferon, in other words,immunomodulators. To speed up metabolic processes, they use nootropic drugs, as well as vitamins B1 and B2.
Antibiotics are not used for Turkish chickenpox because they are ineffective against a viral infection. They can be prescribed to a small patient only in order to avoid bacterial complications. With proper treatment, the child feels better after 3 days. The rash clears up in 10 days, and the sores disappear after a week.
How to avoid infection?
In order not to become infected with the Coxsackievirus, you must:
- drink only purified water;
- wash your hands thoroughly after going to the toilet or walking;
- always boil vegetables and fruits.
Keep your house clean. Do not forget to immediately throw away personal hygiene products (tissues, diapers, pads) after using them.
