Why is the coxsackie virus called that? coxsackie virus incubation period

The Coxsackie virus, the symptoms and treatment of which were first described by American doctors, is a type of enterovirus infection. The disease provokes the development of aseptic type meningitis, cases of enterovirus infection in children under the age of 10 years are much more common than in adults.

Manifestations of the Coxsackie virus

Signs of the Coxsackie virus, depending on the state of the immune system, the presence or absence of concomitant diseases and the age of the infected person, may occur without a pronounced symptomatic picture or, conversely, have a severe intensity.

The disease causes the hand-foot-mouth syndrome. What it is? The virus causes damage to the mucous membrane in oral cavity. A rash after infection appears on the lower and upper extremities. Rashes that appear on the skin during infection look like small red dots. On the skin the rash does not cause itching and burning.

Then the rash spreads to the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, especially to the inside of the cheeks. In place of red dots, sores begin to form in a short period of time, causing a strong feeling of discomfort and pain.

In adults, the Coxsackie virus occurs in a mild form, children suffer the disease more severely, the symptoms are severe, aggravated. With enterovirus infection in children, 6-10 days after infection, a rash appears on the skin of the hands and feet.

Manifestations of the Coxsackie virus of a general nature (in the form of deterioration) are absent, body temperature may rise slightly. The disease can manifest itself as a violation of digestion. The patient after infection begins profuse diarrhea, there are signs of intoxication of the body. Fecal masses with diarrhea depart without any pathological impurities: blood clots, mucus, pus.

General symptoms in the form of headaches, weakness, lethargy, nausea occur in most cases in adults.

How is the Coxsackie virus transmitted?

The disease is infectious, there are the following ways of transmission:

The rate of manifestation of Coxsackie does not depend on how the virus entered the human body.

Causes and risk factors

A disease occurs due to the fact that a pathogenic virus enters the body and begins to accumulate in nerve cells, gradually spreading. How quickly the first signs appear after infection depends on the state of the immune system.

People who have comorbidities or who have a weakened immune system as a result of chronic infections and inflammation will get sick with the virus more quickly after contact with an infected person. Factors that can provoke the development of the disease:

• neglect of careful personal hygiene;
• lack of habit of washing vegetables and fruits before eating them;
• drinking water from the tap;
• frequent visits to public pools;
• hypothermia;
• excessive exposure to the open rays of the sun, which led to sun or heat stroke;
• spoiled, poor-quality food.

The process of reproduction of the virus is accelerated by a depressed immune system, the presence of diseases of the internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract, and inflammatory processes that occur in the chronic stage.

Incubation period

In the period from the moment the pathogenic microflora enters the body until the development of a symptomatic picture, it can take from 4 to 7 days. During this period of time, there are no signs of the disease. How long the incubation period will last depends on the type of disease and which mucous membranes the virus has affected:

1. Coxsackie flu-like form. From the moment of infection to the manifestation of the first symptoms, similar to the common cold or SARS, it takes from 1 to 3 days.
2. Angina of a herpetic type, which provokes infection with a virus of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity, develops within 7-15 days.
3. Hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. As a form of the disease, it has the shortest incubation period, the duration of which is 1-2 days.

Why such a long incubation period? Entering the human body through the intestines or oral cavity, the virus begins to accumulate in the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and nasal sinuses, on the walls of the intestine.

When the concentration of pathogenic microflora reaches its highest degree, it enters the bloodstream, with which it spreads throughout the body. Migrating along with the blood, the pathogenic microflora settles on the mucous membranes of some internal organs, invades the cells and provokes the onset of inflammation.

Symptoms

The main symptom of the disease is a rash on the body and oral mucosa. The rash looks like red dots that are 3 mm in diameter. Almost simultaneously with the rash, the first common symptoms of Coxsackie occur:

• increase in body temperature;
• covering the tongue with plaque;
• pain when swallowing saliva, food;
• lack of appetite;
• an increase in the diameter of the lymph nodes;
• general weakness, lethargy;
• drowsiness;
• fast fatigue.

The disease is characterized by the fact that its signs are not always pronounced, which makes it too difficult to make a diagnosis. In young infants, the virus causes the following symptoms:

• violation of the stool - diarrhea;
• feverish state;
• signs of hepatic intoxication;
• failure of the heart rhythm.

In older children and adults, the disease causes pain and aches in the muscles and joints. The rash on the arms and legs of red color is small blisters that are filled with liquid contents.

Pain and itching from their presence on the skin is absent, a strong feeling of discomfort occurs when bubbles form on the mucous membrane of the tongue and the inside of the cheeks. When in contact with food and liquid, they begin to get very sick.

The body temperature of a sick child can reach 39 ° C, this symptom lasts for several days, after which the body temperature returns to normal.

Along with a rash with a virus, there are signs of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. A sick person develops severe diarrhea, acts of defecation occur up to 10 times a day. Nausea and vomiting may occur, not associated with eating.

If the disease proceeds in a aggravated form, which occurs in the presence of concomitant diseases and a reduced immune system, the virus provokes disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system: there is a severe headache, weakness and lethargy, apathy. Perhaps convulsive contraction of the muscles of the lower extremities.

Diagnostics

Because the rash in this disease looks non-specific, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis only on the basis of one survey and examination of the patient. A medical examination is carried out, which includes the delivery of a number of laboratory tests:

1. PCR method (polymerase chain reaction). It is carried out on the basis of biological material taken from the oral cavity, and is the most informative way to diagnose the Coxsackie virus. The analysis reveals the type of pathogenic microflora.
2. Serological blood test. It is necessary to determine the degree of activity of antibodies to pathogenic microflora detected in the body of an infected person.

Other diagnostic methods: ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, x-rays are prescribed in cases where there are manifestations of complications in the work of internal organs that have arisen against the background of the development of pathogenic microflora in the body.

Treatment

Therapy of the disease is symptomatic. Depending on the severity clinical case performed either in a hospital setting or at home. Treatment for the Coxsackie virus with special preparations is not carried out, because. medicinal product, which would be directed directly to the treatment this disease, does not exist.

How to treat the virus in this case? To stop the symptomatic picture, appropriate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretic drugs, and vitamins are prescribed.

With the Coxsackie virus, antibiotic treatment is not carried out due to the type of pathogenic microflora. This is a virus, so drugs aimed at killing bacteria will not have any effect.

To quickly cure the disease, you need a complex effect. To normalize the temperature, antipyretic drugs are prescribed. It is recommended to use them only in cases where the temperature is above 38.5 ° C and they do not help to stabilize it. folk methods: raspberry tea, cranberry juice.

It is recommended to change the diet, exclude products that irritate the mucous membrane in the oral cavity, thereby reducing the pain from ulcers. Spices and marinades, pickles are excluded. Food should not be too hot or cold. Carbonated and alcoholic drinks are excluded.

Without fail, an adult and a child must take anti-inflammatory drugs. They help to remove such unpleasant manifestations of the disease as aches and pain in the muscles, pain in the head. Children's drugs used in the treatment of the Coxsackie virus, which have anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects - Ibuprofen, Paracetamol.

To relieve pain caused by ulcers on the tongue and buccal mucosa, antiseptic, local agents are used. It is recommended to give lozenges that relieve pain in the larynx, you can rinse your mouth several times a day with Furacilin, which is diluted with water.

Treatment of a rash on the skin of the hands and feet is carried out with brilliant green or Fukortsin. This is necessary to dry the bubbles. Although they do not cause burning and itching, Small child still trying to rip them off. This is fraught with the addition of a bacterial infection, which, accordingly, will aggravate the course of the disease.

In order to prevent dehydration of the body, which occurs with frequent diarrhea and vomiting, it is necessary to ensure a normal drinking regimen. If after a day the diarrhea has not decreased, it is recommended to give the drug Regidron. The drug stops the symptoms of dehydration, normalizes the water balance in the body, helps to eliminate pathogenic infections from the body, helping to quickly improve the general condition of a person.

Possible Complications

If a woman becomes infected with the virus during pregnancy, there is a high risk that she will infect the baby. But for children under 4-6 months old, the disease does not pose any threat, because. the baby will still have antibodies in the blood, obtained during pregnancy by the placental method from the mother. Antibodies penetrate into the body of the child and with breast milk.

A virus, if there are other diseases and severe pathologies in the body, can provoke a number of complications:

1. With a weakened immune system and the addition of infectious diseases, a heart complication may occur. Against the background of Coxsackie, endocarditis, pericarditis, myocarditis may appear.
2. The disease can provoke the development of serous type meningitis.
3. The virus can cause the development of pleurodynia, a pathological condition of the muscles when a large amount of pathogenic microflora accumulates in them. Pathology is manifested by severe muscle pain, which is aggravated by walking, shortness of breath.

The Coxsackie virus does not always have severe consequences; complications are associated with the presence of predisposing factors. Hepatitis as a complication against the background of the development of the virus occurs in cases where the patient previously had problems with this organ, for example, a person has been ill with hepatitis. Often develops against the background of Coxsackie dehydration. The pathological condition is associated with the lack of adequate treatment.

Prevention

To protect the body from the ingress of a pathogenic virus, it is enough to perform simple preventive measures. Before eating, it is necessary to thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits, especially those bought from hands or in stores.

Personal hygiene plays an important role in the prevention of the virus. It is not recommended to swim in public pools for people with a weak immune system when the body cannot resist even a slight concentration of pathogenic microflora.

Prevention for young children consists in increasing the protective functions of immunity, educating the culture of hygiene in children.

To date, a whole group of infectious agents is known, bearing the common name "Coxsackie virus". The virus in adults can cause a wide variety of diseases, up to deadly ones. There is no vaccine against it, as well as a drug designed to destroy this particular pathogen. Key preventive measures include thorough handwashing and the need to cover your mouth with a tissue or at least your hand when you cough or sneeze.

Spreading

The infection is transmitted from person to person. The virus is present in the secrets and bodily fluids of patients and can be spread by contact with secretions. respiratory tract. If an infected person rubs their nose (and a runny nose is characteristic of the disease) and touches an object, the virus will remain on the surface of this object, and it will turn into a healthy person, it is enough to touch the infected thing, and then to the mouth or nose, to contribute to the spread of the disease .

People with an eye infection (conjunctivitis) can infect others by consistently touching their eyes and objects. Conjunctivitis develops very quickly and may appear as early as the first day of infection. Pathogenic microorganisms are present in faeces, which is the reason for the spread of infection among children in nurseries where diapers are used.

Symptoms

The most common asymptomatic course of infection caused by the pathogen Coxsackie. The virus in adults can cause the common cold or skin rash (especially during the summer months). Among the relatively common symptoms, one should also mention diarrhea and sore throat, similar to that observed in acute pharyngitis.

There are more severe manifestations of infection, but they are much less common. These are signs of infection with the virus, such as meningitis (inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord or brain), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), pleuralgia (chest pain) and myopericarditis (inflammation of the heart). Most dangerous symptoms infections occur in newborns.

Respiratory diseases

Coxsackievirus most commonly causes a febrile upper respiratory tract infection with sore throat and runny nose. Some people develop a cough that is commonly seen with bronchitis. Less commonly, the virus causes pneumonia.

Skin rash

Skin rashes can also indicate infection. Most often it is a non-specific multiple red rash (urticaria) or small clusters of even red spots. In most cases, the rash appears during the recovery period. Although their appearance it often resembles a slight sunburn, it is not characteristic of peeling.

Small soft blisters as well as the soles of the feet and inside the mouth can also be caused by the Coxsackievirus. The virus in adults, however, rarely takes this form; These symptoms are more common in children under ten years of age. This is a relatively mild disease that does not require treatment.

Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva)

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis causes the eye to swell and bleed into the white. Usually, the infection affects both organs of vision. Patients with conjunctivitis complain of a sensation of a foreign object in the eye or a burning pain. Symptoms go away within a week.

Meningitis

Viral meningitis - inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord or brain - can be caused by some types of the infection in question. Coxsackievirus in adults can provoke the development of so-called aseptic meningitis, since cultures of cerebrospinal fluid cells indicate the absence of an increase in the number of bacteria (this is only because cultures help to identify bacteria, not viruses). Patients with this disease complain of headache and fever accompanied by neck stiffness. A skin rash may also appear. are more common in children than adults, but the latter often suffer from feelings of fatigue lasting weeks after recovery.

V rare cases The virus also causes inflammation of the brain (meningoencephalitis). Patients lose their sense of orientation in time and space, may fall into lethargy. A characteristic symptom of this disease is an increase in body temperature.

Weakness and paralysis

"Coxsackie" is a virus in adults, the symptoms of which include such rare disorders as weakness in the upper or lower limb and even partial paralysis. These signs are comparable to, however, they are far less intense. Paralysis or weakness may follow an attack of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis or appear as independent signs of infection. Important! The considered type of enterovirus does not cause permanent paralysis and weakness.

Pleurodynia

Pleurodynia is inflammation of the muscles in the chest. It is associated with pleuralgia - unexpected attacks acute pain in the chest, worse on taking a deep breath. The pain syndrome can also be localized in the abdominal cavity. The sensations take on the character of waves or spasms. Pleurodynia usually resolves on its own within about five days, but attacks may recur after 7 to 14 days.

Myopericarditis

Myopericarditis is one of the most dangerous signs of infection with the Coxsackie pathogen. The virus in adults (symptoms that are observed most often are listed above), fortunately, rarely causes such disorders. Myopericarditis is an inflammation of the heart and its membranes, and the patient's condition can be either mild or severe. In the latter case, the disease can lead to heart failure, heart attack, or death. Most often, myopericarditis occurs in young patients leading an active lifestyle. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, and swelling of the legs. Damage to the heart may be incurable.

Diagnostics

If, when diagnosing another disease, the doctor detects a Coxsackie (virus) infection, treatment in adults is often not even required, especially if this condition is asymptomatic. If its only symptom is a cold or a skin rash, specialists, as a rule, do not even prescribe diagnostic tests. If conjunctivitis is found, the doctor will likely examine the eyes with a hand-held ophthalmoscope to confirm the suspected diagnosis. If the patient has a sore throat, you will need to take a smear for analysis to differentiate acute pharyngitis.

In aseptic meningitis, a doctor will take a sample (through a procedure such as a spinal tap.) normal level sugar and normal or slightly increased level proteins. These changes in the composition of the fluid, although unpleasant, are still not as dangerous as signs of bacterial meningitis. A CSF sample is examined for the presence of the Coxsackie pathogen in it. A virus (treatment in adults in this case must be prescribed by a specialist) can also be detected fast method polymerase chain reaction. This method detects 66-90 percent of infections.

Myopericarditis is a dangerous condition and requires diagnosis with an electrocardiogram (ECG) and ultrasound heart (echocardiogram). The electrocardiogram shows rhythm disturbances caused by an increase in the heart, and also helps to identify the inflammatory process. An echocardiogram shows the specific size of an organ and allows you to judge the quality indicators of its functioning. In addition, the results of this study can determine whether there is fluid around the heart. Blood tests are taken to assess the condition of other internal organs.

Treatment

Although the infection is most common in young children, it is not uncommon for doctors to diagnose Coxsackievirus in adults. Symptoms and treatment of the disease in some cases are similar to the signs and treatment of infection in children. Unfortunately, on this moment there is no specific drug aimed at the destruction of this particular pathogenic microflora. On the other hand, the human immune system is almost always able to destroy the Coxsackie virus on its own. Prevention and treatment in adults matter only when it comes to severe lesions of the body. Unfortunately, in case of serious complications, doctors can only offer to eliminate the consequences of the infection - the fight against the virus itself is still in the field of experimental medicine. So, according to the results of some studies, the condition of patients improves after intravenous administration immunoglobulin produced from human serum containing antibodies.

Thus, the symptoms and consequences of the infection are treated depending on the specific signs of the disease. Myopericarditis, for example, is accompanied by a deterioration in the functioning of the heart, which contributes to a decrease in blood pressure, - that is why in this condition it is necessary to take appropriate medications to normalize pressure. In emergency cases, heart transplantation is indicated.

Treatment at home

With a sluggish infection, even at home, it is quite possible to cure the Coxsackie virus in adults. How to treat this disease? In order to get rid of pain syndrome and fever, take "Acetaminophen", "Ibuprofen" and similar drugs. You can use any over-the-counter medication that relieves cold symptoms (decongestants or cough syrup), but they don't make you feel better and can cause side effects such as drowsiness or dry mouth.

Prevention

What should be done to avoid catching the Coxsackie virus? Prevention in adults involves frequent hand washing - this applies to both sick and healthy people. It is not necessary to use special gels containing alcohol - plain water and soap are enough. When sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth with your hand, or better with a handkerchief. Diapers, along with their contents, should be carefully rolled up and thrown away as soon as possible. Surfaces (such as furniture) must be kept clean. Contaminated items are recommended to be treated with disinfectants. For this purpose, ordinary household bleach is suitable - one tablespoon of the substance is diluted in four glasses of water. The Coxsackie virus in adults (photos showing signs of pathology are presented on the page) can be easily prevented if the above preventive measures are followed.

Two important components of the aspect of knowledge about the enterovirus disease caused by the Coxsackie virus are the symptoms and treatment of the disease, and the most important is the timely correct diagnosis and prevention of the negative consequences of the development of the virus. Another important point is that you need to remember this disease as an infectious disease and therefore you need to know where and how you can get infected. To, if possible, prevent the disease itself or reduce the likelihood of its occurrence.

Already from the name it is clear that this disease is infectious. The causative agent of the disease is the Coxsackievirus, which is a typical picornavirus. This group includes 29 serotypes of RNA viruses actively developing in the intestine. These serotypes according to biological properties are divided into 2 types of enteroviruses:

1. A-type (23 serotypes) infects the outer shell of the human body (skin) and mucous membranes. By his grace, patients develop aphthous pharyngitis (tonsillitis) and stomatitis, aseptic meningitis (Coxsackie viruses are the most common cause of this pathology), hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, pathologies of the upper respiratory tract (upper respiratory system). May cause diffuse myositis.
2. B-type (6 serotypes) affects organs with very serious consequences: pleurisy, myocarditis with pericardial effusion, hepatitis (inflammation that has no connection with hepatotropic viruses), pancreatitis. May cause damage to the central nervous system with paresis and paralysis.

The division is justified by the presence of a type-specific antigen. The picornavirus family also includes ECHO viruses that cause aseptic meningitis, SARS of unknown origin, paralysis and encephalitis.

Coxsackie is diagnosed in children, as well as in adults of all ages. But it is most difficult for children under 10 years of age to tolerate it. You can get infected almost anywhere. The peak incidence occurs during the holiday season.

A vivid example of this is the hype about the Coxsackie virus in Turkey in 2017. Rospotrebnadzor does not currently confirm that it was Coxsackie that caused the increase in enterovirus diseases among tourists this season, because the Turkish side does not have statistics, but laboratory diagnostics patients were not carried out. Of course, there were diseases caused by this virus. But whether Turkey suffered from the Coxsackie epidemic is debatable, perhaps no more than usual.

Interesting facts about the disease and pathogen

All picornaviruses are polymorphs in clinical manifestations. It is problematic to distinguish one type from another or the Coxsackie virus from an echovirus infection without specific laboratory diagnostics. For example, patients rarely hear such a diagnosis as aphthous pharyngitis (herpangina) from doctors. More often, the diagnosis sounds like dermatitis caused by allergies, SARS of unknown origin, etc. Interestingly, the standard course of this disease is much less common than the atypical picture with catarrhal symptoms and nausea.

There is a misconception that herpangina is caused by the herpes virus. What herpangina (vesicular pharyngitis) looks like is easy to see by looking at the photo, which shows the manifestations of Coxsackie.

Be critical of sites that publish information that one of the herpesvirus serovars is the causative agent of herpetic sore throat. Remember that this is the name of the disease, not its causative agent.

The Coxsackie virus affects up to 95% of the population, both in pronounced and inapparent form (with no recognizable clinical manifestations). Immunity is formed resistant, regardless of the severity and typicality of the clinic, but serospecific, there is no cross-immunity. This means that you can get sick with each of the 29 Coxsackie serovars and 34 echoviruses.

Developing in the human body, the Coxsackie virus in children and elderly patients is the most severe. It is characteristic with a high temperature (39-39.5), a pronounced intoxication syndrome, but infants who feed on mother's milk rarely get sick due to maternal antibodies.

Virus resistance

The virus is resistant to freezing, does not die for years even at a temperature of 70 ° C with minus. Also, it is not affected by alcohol, does not die under the influence of standard concentration ether, lysol (one of the most common components of disinfectants), as well as acids that are part of popular disinfectants.

The virus does not die when heated. It withstands + 60 ° C for up to half an hour, when boiled it is inactivated within a few seconds. Dies under the influence of UFL, concentrates of chlorine-containing agents and formalin.

How does Coxsackie virus appear on the skin in children

Does the Coxsackie virus have symptoms that distinguish the disease it causes from other pathologies? A characteristic symptom of a disease provoked by some serotypes of the Coxsackie virus is the HFMD syndrome (how the Coxsackie virus proceeds, the photos show quite eloquently). The abbreviation refers us to the English Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (hand-foot-mouth). The symptomatic complex describes lesions of the human extremities with a rash, combined with exanthema of the oral cavity. herpes sore throat is added to the complex of symptoms.

The most characteristic signs of this disease are considered to be acute onset and rapid development, as well as:

• polysymptomatic clinic (manifestation of the disease in a variety of symptoms);
• fairly quick healing;
• rare development of complications.

The most dangerous is the infection with serovars of the B-type virus. A serovar is a group of a single species of microorganisms that share a common antigenic structure. In this case, the disease can be combined with a persistent (resident) herpes virus.

In many patients, 2-8 weeks after a viral illness, there is a problem with nails (stratification, brittleness, thinning). The issue of recognizing the connection between the defeat of the nail plate and the Coxsackie virus in official medicine remains controversial. Many experts do not find a direct connection, considering fungal nail lesions, against the background of a weakened immune system after an illness.

But the fact remains that many patients suffer from nail lesions, and in children, nail platinum is often replaced after an infection, especially after an untimely detected disease, due to an erroneous diagnosis.

Methods of infection and signs of the disease

The disease is contagious (from the Latin "contagiosus" - contagious) due to the fact that the virus penetrates into human body both by airborne droplets and through unwashed hands, as well as through contaminated water and food (alimentary route). In rare cases, there is a transplacental route of penetration of the virus (from mother to fetus). But this is more the exception than the rule. You can get infected from a patient in a manifest (in a clinical form with a full set of symptoms characteristic of the disease) and inapparent form, as well as from a carrier of the virus.

The incubation interval lasts several days, and then the patient's temperature rises sharply (up to 39-40 ° C). For the disease caused by the Coxsackie virus, the symptoms in children and adult patients are almost identical:

• indigestion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
• elevated body temperature, which is difficult to correct with medication;
• aches and pains in the joints;
• increased fatigue and cephalgia;
• weakness;
• throat discomfort.

These signs do not distinguish the described disease from other enteroviruses. Vesicular pharyngitis, Boston exanthema (HFMD), myalgia, and aseptic meningitis are considered typical syndromes for this disease.

Infectious exanthema

With an infectious (Boston) exanthema, typical rashes appear on the hands and feet (less often on the hips) - small red vesicles (vesicles) with transparent contents (what the Coxsackie virus looks like in children, the photo symptoms show clearly and clearly). At the same time, in children and adults, rashes are accompanied by itching and burning.

In some cases, the Coxsackie Virus in older adults causes complaints not of itching, but of severe pain in the affected limbs, more often in the fingers. Rashes within a week pass without a trace. Moreover, on the first day the disease is confused with measles and scarlet fever, on the 2-3rd day - with chickenpox. On the 4th day of illness, the rashes turn pale, burst, the skin peels off.

Simultaneously with skin rashes in the patient's mouth, aphthous ulcerations are found, making the mucous membrane sensitive to cold and hot food. "Aphthae" is the definition of painful ulcers (ulcers), 3-5 mm in size and having a round or oval shape. Aphthae appear on the gums, inside the cheeks and on the palate. What the symptoms of the Coxsackie virus look like, the photo gives a visual representation. This form is also quite specific.

Signs of infection in children

After infection with the Coxsackie virus, symptoms in young children will include such manifestations as moodiness, hypersalivation and irritability, loss of appetite and discomfort and pain in the process of eating.

Coxsackie virus in children (photo) symptoms and manifestation of enteroviral eczema on the skin of the hands

How the mucous lining of the oral cavity reacts to the introduction of the Coxsackie virus in children - the photo will demonstrate with ease. In the same pictures, you can understand that, unlike herpangina, with HFMD, the tonsils remain clean. But in the case of the development of angina, a typical picture for this disease is observed:

• swelling of the tonsils;
• pain when swallowing;
• cough;
• rhinitis in acute form;
• sharply painful erosions on the oral mucosa;
• inflammation of regional lymph nodes.

In an atypical form, this disease can take the form of the so-called summer flu, catarrhal inflammation of the VDN, neonatal encephalomyelitis, inflammation of the conjunctiva in a hemorrhagic form, etc.

With summer flu, the symptoms are indistinguishable from influenza manifestations in the fall, however, small children become infected during the beach period.

In addition to questions, what are the symptoms of Coxsackie in children (photo pathological changes), parents are naturally also interested in the question of how to treat this disease.

Watch the program of Dr. Komarovsky, which talks about enteroviruses and their varieties, with a special emphasis on herpangina polio and the coxsackie virus, also called the “hand-foot-mouth syndrome”.

Coxsackie virus (source - Wikipedia)

Watch a program from the “Live Healthy!” series, dedicated to highlighting the nature of the occurrence and methods of treating the Coxsackie virus.

Treatment of a viral infection

The well-known saying: "Treat a runny nose and you will recover in just 7 days, do not treat it and then you will have to get sick for a whole week" - clearly describes the possibilities of treating this disease. If you have Coxsackie, how to treat the disease is better to consult a doctor. The main therapy strategy is to provide bed rest and the following supportive care activities:

• plentiful warm drink;
• a sparing diet that allows you to minimally injure the affected mucosa;
• vitamins.

After diagnosing the Coxsackie virus in children, treatment is most often carried out at home, hospitalization is required only in severe cases (meningitis, pericarditis, etc.). There is no specific therapy for this disease.

In the first 1-3 days with Coxsackie, treatment for weakened children and young patients with a severe course of the disease is prescribed using the antiviral agent Gamma globulin, which contains antibodies to the virus and Ribonuclease, which can partially deactivate the virus RNA. Please note that according to representatives of official medicine, Acyclovir and its analogues effective for the treatment of herpes infection are not effective against Coxsackie.

However, according to the reviews of mothers vacationing with children in Turkey and having experience in treating coxsackie with local doctors, you can often find information that a Turkish doctor prescribed a syrup with Acyclovir and an ointment against allergic itching externally, and the disease receded within 3 days. Information, as they say, for reflection.

Medications

In case of a disease caused by the Coxsackie virus, treatment, or rather the main therapeutic part, is symptomatic therapy:

Regidron, Reosolan, etc.).

Local antiseptics for rinsing the mouth are relevant for aphthous stomatitis and herpetic sore throat (soda solution, chamomile decoction, Hexaolysis, Stomatidin and others).

Antibiotics are prescribed on an individual basis if a bacterial infection is detected.

Considering the question about medicines for the treatment of the Coxsackie virus, do not forget about immunomodulators and interferon preparations (Polyoxidonium, Laferobion, Immunoflazid, etc.). This group of agents must be connected to the therapeutic kit from the first days of the manifestation of the disease in order to activate the immune response.

Preventive measures

Of course, it is extremely important for a sick Coxsackie to know how to treat the disease, but everyone knows that the most a good remedy from any disease, is a strong immune system. Therefore, it makes sense to carry out preventive procedures for hardening the body, to eat a balanced diet. Briefly mentioning the aspect of strengthening immunity, we will talk about almost the most effective dietary supplement that can be used to strengthen immunity.

This drug is called Colostrum and is made from cow colostrum and has pronounced immunomodulatory properties when total absence side effects, which is typical. We strongly recommend that you pay attention to this biological supplement. Remember that any disease is much easier to prevent than to treat its manifestations and consequences.

The coxsackie virus has an incubation period of about 6-7 days.

More rarely, this period can be reduced to two days or increased to ten. In adults, the incubation period of coxsackie can be faster. Although this disease rarely develops in adulthood. After all, usually a person experiences an illness in childhood and has a stable immunity to the virus. Parents should know how infection occurs, how many days the incubation period of coxsackie lasts, what symptoms it manifests.

For example, there may not be clear signs of the development of the incubation period in an adult. In our country, this disease is diagnosed extremely rarely.

The thing is that they are extremely similar to other common viral diseases, for example:

• Rubella
• Flu
• chicken pox

Usually, a complication of the course of the disease caused by the coxsackie virus does not develop.

Consequences are possible with immunodeficiency and special sensitivity of the body to the causative agent of the disease.

In any case, parents should know the main characteristics of the disease, its varieties, clinical picture and features of treatment. And of course, you should be interested in how the infection occurs and how you can warn your baby from this.

In this article you will learn:

Incubation period

The coxsackievirus concentrates and multiplies during the incubation period in gastrointestinal tract infected person. There are many ways to get infected with a virus. He is quite "survivable", able to withstand high temperatures, is not destroyed by treatment with a 70% alcohol solution.

You can get rid of the virus indoors or on things only after quartzing.

Characteristically, in different ways:

• Through household items
• Airborne
• Through food
• in utero

Unlike chickenpox, coxsackie can survive on objects and things for a long time.

The probability of getting infected with a toy played by a sick child remains for about a week. If parents do not want the baby to become infected, then hygiene rules should be carefully observed, explain to the child: how to communicate with other children, that you can’t gnaw on other people’s toys or eat the same food for everyone.

In addition, the child must be taught to wash his hands after coming from the street, after playing with other people's toys. Thus, it is impossible to protect the baby 100%, but this additional prevention will not be superfluous.

If infection could not be avoided, then you need to know when the first signs may appear.

On average, the incubation period of coxsackie lasts about a week (3-6 days).

At this time, a deterioration in the well-being of the child can already be noticed. The child becomes weak, sluggish movements, appetite disappears. With coxsackie infections, the current several days incubation period is characterized by an increased level of contagiousness. That is, the baby is already actively transmitting viruses to others. After the end of the incubation period, visible symptoms illness.

This disease is characterized by the frequent manifestation of symptoms that are not unique and are characteristic of many retroviral diseases. That is why often coxsackie can simply not be diagnosed, confusing it with the flu or SARS.

Course of the disease

With the normal development of the disease, the incubation period of coxsackie ends in 4-6 days. After that, the first noticeable signs of infection begin to appear. Coxsackie enterovirus, having accumulated during the incubation period, actively spreads throughout the body, enters the bloodstream. The disease has several types, with a typical and atypical clinical picture.

Among the most common diseases, there are:

Enteroviral fever is considered the mildest form. It is also popularly referred to as the summer flu.

The thing is that it has similar symptoms, but it flares up mainly in the summer, when families massively relax on public beaches. The fever usually flares up instantly and without preliminary symptoms.

The temperature rises sharply to 40 degrees, there is a feeling of nausea, sometimes vomiting occurs. The child is lethargic, feels pain in the muscles. No appetite, bad sleep, intermittent.

Usually, cases of the duration of such an attack are recorded for about 2-5 days.

A characteristic manifestation of the disease is the desire of the child to sleep for a long time after the temperature drops. It may take about two days to fall asleep. After that, the child again eats with pleasure, plays and leads an active lifestyle. The disease disappears as abruptly as it appears.

Given that the summer flu develops at lightning speed, it may not be recognized in time. If an outbreak occurs at a resort, then parents may associate the deterioration in well-being with poisoning. At the same time, doctors argue that with any treatment, the disease will fade away in a strictly allotted time (in a few days).
Cleaning a room that has had a sick child will not help get rid of the virus. After all, it is so resistant to various influences that it survives even after freezing and after treatment with an alcohol solution.

Among children from 3 to 10 years, the virus most often manifests itself in the form of a sore throat. Enlargement of the tonsils and the appearance of traces of infection in the throat, a white coating on the tongue are the first symptoms.

At the same time, the child has no appetite, a particular aversion may occur to dairy products. After recovery, this feeling gradually disappears and the children begin to eat the same foods as before.

The foot-hand-mouth syndrome got its name due to the fact that with this form of infection, rashes are observed on the feet and hands of the baby. And also rashes appear on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. The rash is necessarily accompanied by severe itching. In this case, you can not do without drugs that will reduce the feeling of a rash.

The most unpleasant thing is that any food is practically not perceived by children. Due to the presence of pimples and ulcers in the mouth, food adds pain.

But the use of cool water alleviates discomfort. Food can be given after treatment of the oral cavity with special creams that soothe itching and reduce the sensitivity of mucous membranes.

During the incubation period, symptoms of the coxsackie virus do not appear, and it is almost impossible to prescribe treatment. All the time that the incubation period of coxsackie lasts, the virus accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract. After a few days, the first symptoms begin to appear. Regardless of the type of disease and its form, in most cases a strong fever flares up. Body temperature can reach 39-40 degrees. At this time, even without an accurate diagnosis of the infection, an antipyretic should be given to the child.

Usually pediatricians recommend using Ibuprofen (in various preparations) or paracetamol (tablets, syrups, suppositories). Antiviral drugs will also contribute to a quick recovery. For example, Anaferon or Arbidol are antiviral drugs with a general spectrum of action that can significantly reduce the activity of the virus.

To reduce nausea or vomiting, appropriate drugs are prescribed, for example, Cerucal.

The pediatrician can prescribe antibiotics if necessary. But it is impossible to treat children with antibiotics on their own at the slightest symptoms of viral diseases.

It should be remembered that this group of medicines can not only overcome the causative agent of the infection, but also destroy the beneficial bacteria of the intestinal tract.

After a course of antibiotics, it will take a long time to restore the baby's body and immunity, drink post-antibiotics and adhere to a diet in nutrition.

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Most often, children who attend a kindergarten, play centers, and relax in a crowded resort are most often at risk of infection. It is recommended to make an appointment with a doctor during the period of illness.
But when clarifying the first symptoms, an experienced doctor will not require you to bring the baby to the appointment. In such situations, pediatricians themselves travel to the address, or come to the room of vacationers (if the infection occurred in a sanatorium, at a recreation center). An experienced pediatrician knows that a sick person not only feels bad, but is also potentially dangerous to others.

Any rashes during the period of the disease should be treated antiseptics or natural oils. Thus, it is possible to protect the skin from bacteria entering the affected areas, stimulate rapid healing and regeneration of the skin surface.

In total, the duration of the disease can be from several days (with simple forms), up to several weeks. In a particularly serious condition of the patient, bed rest is prescribed. It is important for parents to provide maximum comfort for the child, to surround him with care.

If the baby is breastfeeding, then you should offer breasts frequently throughout the day, without adhering to the established diet.

Interesting facts about the coxsackie virus

This viral disease has been known for a relatively long time. However, doctors still rarely talk about it to parents. Often the infection is not recognized or confused with others viral infections. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly how often outbreaks of infection appear in our country.

But this disease is surrounded by a mass interesting facts and myths that young parents should know. First of all, you need to pay attention to the fact that how long the incubation period lasts for coxsackie, so much the child is already contagious. During the incubation period, the virus is difficult to determine, but the baby may notice such changes:

• poor appetite
• Headache
• Lethargy and apathy
• Muscle pain

Coxsackie infection is also called Turkish chickenpox, since infection and the incubation period can begin at a resort in this hospitable country. Indeed, outbreaks in the resort flare up quite often.

This is facilitated by a climate comfortable for infection: heat and high humidity. In addition, the presence of a constantly large number of vacationers makes it easy for the virus to spread, regularly finding a new victim.

But experts point out that the infection should not be associated with Turkish resorts. This phenomenon is also typical for other maritime countries, in particular: Italy, Greece, Portugal. They recommend that tourists who want to soak up the sun on the beach with the whole family, get vaccinated in advance, and not later blame the tour operators and the hospitable resort.

The disease can be accompanied by complications, there are 2 forms of the disease - isolated and combined.

If a person already has health problems associated with reduced immunity, then the risk of developing a severe combined form increases. The course of the disease is much more complicated in adults, in HIV-infected patients, in patients diabetes.
The infection may be accompanied by muscle spasms. Having determined this syndrome, you should consult a doctor. A doctor may recommend treatment, bed rest, or even hospitalization. Under such conditions, it is easier to recover quickly, without complications.

It should be remembered that outbreaks of infection can occur at any time of the year. Koksaki is especially often recorded in the summer-autumn period, when the weather is warm and the air has high humidity.

V childhood man is faced with many various diseases. In particular, there are certain groups of viruses that are actively spreading in children's groups and easily penetrate the baby's body.

At the same time, in most cases, the rapid course of the disease ends with the formation of stable immunity to the recurrence of the experienced disease. In the last century, a specific viral disease was discovered. Its first outbreaks were recorded in the small town of Coxsackie, in the USA. It is the name of this city that the disease is called in the future. A characteristic feature of the virus is its rapid spread, the presence of various transmission routes, and various forms of development. The percentage of infection is very high - about 98%. Babies from birth to 5 years of age are especially susceptible to the virus. The most severe form usually develops in children under 2 years of age.

Coxsackievirus is a causative agent of childhood infections. It causes a viral infectious process - enteroviral stomatitis with exanthema. It is mainly manifested by disruption of the intestines, diarrhea, general intoxication and a characteristic rash. The course of the infectious process is generally favorable, but there are cases of the development of flaccid paralysis, lesions of the meninges of the brain.

Types and properties of the virus

Coxsackievirus belongs to the family of enteroviruses (intestinal viruses). It is an RNA virus. It was first isolated in the United States in 1950 from the faeces of children who had an infection with clinical symptoms resembling the paralytic form of poliomyelitis. Today, the Coxsackie virus is divided into 2 groups - virus A and B, each of which contains serogroups that differ in antigenic properties. The size of the viral particle varies from 18 to 30 nm. V environment they are fairly stable, in faeces and tap water can be stored for a long time (about 780 days), but they are sensitive to the action of sunlight and disinfectant solutions (chlorine, chloramine), which destroy them almost instantly. When boiled, they die within 20 minutes.

Epidemiology of infection

The source of the virus is a patient or a carrier (more dangerous in an epidemic sense) of the virus. Main The mechanism of transmission of the Coxsackie virus is airborne or alimentary (with food) infection. This infection transmission mechanism is implemented through common dishes (especially in kindergartens), contaminated water, unwashed hands, vegetables or fruits. The transplacental route of transmission from mother to fetus is extremely rare. Susceptible to infection are children aged 3 to 10 years (infection occurs most often at 4-6 years). This infection is common in temperate countries, where the incidence is higher in summer and autumn. After an infection, stable immunity is not formed.

Children under the age of 6 months are practically immune to the Coxsackie virus. This is due to the fact that maternal antibodies circulate in their blood, transmitted during fetal development through the placenta. The duration of maternal antibody activity is on average six months, which explains the child's immunity to most infections during this time. Also, antibodies are partially transmitted to the baby with breast milk. After an infection, a child does not develop sufficient immunity. This means that with the subsequent entry of the virus into the body, the child may get sick again, but the pathology itself will proceed more easily.

Mechanism of infection development

Depending on the characteristics of the serological type of the virus and the individual characteristics of the child's body, the infectious process ends with a complete recovery with the destruction of all viral particles by the immune system, the transition to a chronic process with long-term preservation of the virus in the internal organs and neurocytes or virus carriers.

Manifestations of the Coxsackie virus

The time from infection to the development of the first symptoms is 2 to 10 days. The onset of the disease is usually acute, with a rise in body temperature to 39 ° C, a sharp deterioration in general well-being, muscle pain and headache. Typically, such symptoms correspond to viremia - a massive release of viral particles into the systemic circulation. General intoxication in childhood characterizes almost all infectious diseases. Symptoms indicative of the Coxsackie virus develop within a day from the onset of the disease, they include:

Such symptoms develop in most cases of the course of infection.

In connection with the development of a rash on the hands, feet and mouth of the child, the infection caused by the Coxsackie virus is also called the "hands-foot-mouth" infection.

Depending on the prevalence of any symptom, there are several clinical forms of this disease:

The presence of certain symptoms of infection depends on the type of virus and the individual characteristics of the child.

With an increase in temperature and severe headache, it is necessary to check for the presence of stiff neck, indicating meningitis. To do this, in the position of the child on his back, try to raise his head with his hand and tilt it forward as much as possible. If there is a stiff neck, there will be significant resistance to tilting the head.

Diagnostics

To accurately determine the infection of a child with the Coxsackie virus, it is carried out laboratory research which includes:

• Detection of the virus in swabs from the nasopharynx and in feces using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is the most accurate diagnostic method by which the genotype of the virus is determined.
• Determination of the activity of antibodies to the virus in the blood - is carried out using serological study, diagnostic criterion is an increase in the titer (activity) of antibodies by 4 times or more.

To date, with sporadic (single) cases of the disease, laboratory diagnostics is not carried out.

How to treat a virus in children

Treatment of children includes general measures (bed rest for the entire period of intoxication, a diet with sufficient fluids and vitamins). Also used is a series medicines which includes:

• In the case of mouth ulcers and if there is a sore throat, treatment includes the use of local antiseptics (lozenges for sore throat, gargling with furacilin solution).
• A rash on the skin is treated with fucarcin or a solution of brilliant green (brilliant green) to prevent the addition of a bacterial infection.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce muscle pain, headache and temperature - for children, the optimal drugs are Ibuprofen and children's paracetamol in age dosages. A single dose can be given no more than 3-4 times a day after meals.
• Plentiful drinking and solutions for oral rehydration are used in case of severe diarrhea and vomiting (Regidron).
• Antivirals are used only when severe course infections (Amixin).

A noticeable improvement in the condition usually occurs within 2-3 days, in case of deterioration, the appearance of signs of meningitis (stiff neck), you should immediately consult a doctor.

Antibiotics are not used to treat the Coxsackie virus, since they are absolutely ineffective against viruses. They can only be prescribed by a doctor in young children to prevent bacterial complications.

The prognosis for an infectious process caused by the Coxsackie virus is generally favorable. Rarely, complications such as dehydration (dehydration), meningitis, or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) can develop.