- Hello Jeff -- So far we saw Uganda begin a mystery illness
that began in children, Egypt has also had an unidentified mystery disease,
more flu-like, and now Fiji has a disease that sounds a lot like Hand Foot
and Mouth Disease yet has not been confirmed.
-
- Egypt has not ruled out Avian Flu or Swine Flu. It will
be interesting to see what Fiji test results show.
-
- Patty
-
- ******
-
- Date: Fri 10 Dec 2010
- Source: Radio Fiji, FBS [edited]
- http://www.radiofiji.com.fj/fullstory.php?id=32903
-
-
- Mystery Illness Attacks Children
-
- A mystery illness targeting children has prompted the
Health Ministry to warn parents and guardians to be extra careful and seek
medical help if their children are sick. The viral infection which has
hospitalised up to 30 children per month since October this year [2010]
shows similar symptoms to chicken pox and scabies.
-
- According to the Health Ministry, children generally
get high fever, rashes or blisters on the palm of their hands, soles of
their feet and around the mouth, with seizures in severe cases. Health
spokesperson Peni Namotu says the illness is spread from person to person
through direct contact. "Viral illness can be mistaken for chicken
pox or scabies but parents need to seek medical attention if their children
experience high fever with the peculiar rash especially if seizures or
fits occur." Namotu is advising the general public to take preventative
measures and visit the nearest health centre if any of the symptoms present
themselves.
-
- By Shereel Patel
-
- -- Communicated by Thomas James Allen <mailto:tjallen@pipeline.com>tjallen@pipeline.com
-
- ****** [2] Date: Sat 11 Dec 2010 Source: The Fiji Times
online [edited] <http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=161680>http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=161680
-
- Malaga [?] illness
-
- ---------------
-
- Mr Namotu [Health Spokesperson] said one or 2 days after
the fever onset, "painful sores develop in the mouth as small red
spots that blister and often become ulcers." He said the sores were
usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks accompanied
by a non-itchy skin rash. "The rash has flat or raised red spots,
sometimes with blisters and is usually located on the palms of the hands
and soles of the feet, the buttocks and/or genitalia. There may only be
a rash on the mouth in some cases," he said.
-
- Symptoms of the illness could be mistaken for chicken
pox and scabies and parents are urged to seek medical attention if their
children suffer high fever, a peculiar rash and seizures. Communicable
Diseases national adviser, Dr Eric Rafai, said he did not know how serious
the illness was as they were awaiting test results. The World Health Organisation
offered to help pay for the transporting and testing of the virus at one
of its reference laboratories in Melbourne [Australia].
-
- "Experts suspect it is spread from person to person
by direct contact. The virus is found in the nose and throat secretions,
saliva, blister fluid, and stool of infected persons and is most often
spread by persons with unwashed, virus-contaminated hands and by contact
with virus-contaminated surfaces," he said.
-
- Increased fluid intake is recommended to prevent dehydration
including proper hygiene practices and isolation of victims to lower
-
- infection risks.
-
- --
-
- Communicated by Thomas James Allen <mailto:tjallen@pipeline.com>tjallen@pipeline.com
-
- [The symptoms of this so far undiagnosed illness resemble
closely those associated with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). HFMD
is a common illness of infants and children. It is characterised by fever,
sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters. HFMD begins with a mild fever,
poor appetite, malaise and frequently a sore throat. One or 2 days after
the fever begins, painful sores develop in the mouth. They begin as small
red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. They are usually located
on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks. The skin rash develops over
1 to 2 days with flat or raised red spots, some with blisters.
-
- HFMD may be caused by several different enteroviruses,
coxsackievirus A16 being one of the most common. Rarely, a child with coxsackievirus
A16 infection may also develop aseptic meningitis, in which the child has
fever, headache, stiff neck, or back pain, and may need to be hospitalized
for a few days. Over the past few years enterovirus 71 (EV71) has been
the predominant cause of HFMD in several South-east Asian countries. EV71
may also cause viral meningitis and, rarely, more serious diseases, such
as encephalitis, or a poliomyelitis-like paralysis. EV71 encephalitis may
be fatal.
-
- HFMD occurs mainly in children under 10 years old, but
may also occur in non-immune adults. Everyone is at risk of infection,
but not everyone who is infected becomes ill. Infants, children, and adolescents
are more likely to be susceptible to infection and illness from these viruses,
because they are less likely than adults to be immune from previous exposures
to them. Specific prevention for HFMD or other non-polio enterovirus infections
is not available, but the risk of infection can be lowered by good hygienic
practices.
-
- The outcome of the diagnostic testing at the WHO reference
laboratory in Melbourne is awaited.
-
- The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Fiji can
is available at: <http://healthmap.org/r/0iMw>http://healthmap.org/r/0iMw
. - Mod.CP
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