Herpangina is a viral infection caused by Coxsackie A virus, mainly affecting children aged 3-10 years. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, and small blisters in the mouth. Prevention includes hand washing and awareness of disease outbreaks.
Herpangina is an infection caused by the Coxsackie A virus and is often characterized by the sudden onset of high fever, pain when swallowing, sore throat, and the presence of small blisters that eventually erupt to form superficial whitish sores in the mouth. The ulcers seen in herpangina are frequently found in the soft palate or palate, tonsils, and uvula. The infection occurs frequently during the summer months, mainly affecting children aged between three and ten years, with a lower incidence in adults and adolescents.
There are other viruses that can also cause herpangina, but not as often as coxsackievirus A. These include enterovirus, coxsackievirus B, adenovirus, echovirus, and herpes simplex virus (HSV). The most common strains of coxsackie virus A that cause herpangina in children are types 1, 10, 22, 12, and 16.
The virus that causes herpangina is present in the stools and respiratory fluids of affected children. Transmission of this virus to other children occurs mainly through the fecal-oral route, which means putting objects contaminated by infected feces into the mouth and through the spread of droplets from sneezes and coughs. Once coxsackie virus A enters the human body, it can stay inside to incubate for four to 14 days. The disease usually appears within four to six days after contracting the virus.
Symptoms associated with the infection are back pain, headache, weakness, loss of appetite, vomiting, salivation and abdominal pain. Some infected children may not show any symptoms, but they can still spread the infection to others. Treatment for herpangina often includes rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating a proper diet. Medicines for fever and pain relief are usually given.
Herpangina is primarily a mild viral infection in which infected children usually recover within a week without complications. There are rare cases, however, where the manifestations of the infection are more severe. Affected children in these cases have some neurological problems and meningitis or inflammation of the brain. There have also been reports of deaths associated with this viral infection in some children aged between 11 and 11 months.
Preventive measures are mostly recommended by health experts to limit the spread of the virus in the community. Regular practice of proper hand washing is a necessary habit for children’s development to avoid infections with this and other harmful viruses and organisms. Awareness of disease outbreaks in the neighborhood is one way to diagnose disease early and reduce its spread.
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