Hand-foot-and-mouth disease or Coxsackie virus - how people get infected and what is the danger of the infection
Kyiv • UNN
The infection is transmitted through water and dirty hands, causing rashes, diarrhea, or diabetes. There is no specific treatment or vaccine against the virus.
Coxsackie virus is popularly called "hand-foot-and-mouth disease" due to the specific rashes that appear on these parts of the body and itch. Most often, this infection affects children and is transmitted through contaminated water, food, dirty hands, and sometimes even while swimming in reservoirs. Usually, the disease manifests itself mildly, but in some cases, it can cause serious complications. Alla Myronenko, a virologist and doctor of medical sciences, told UNN journalist more about the dangers of Coxsackie virus and what everyone should know about it.
Details
According to the virologist, Coxsackie virus is quite common and has a number of features that complicate the fight against it. And children are most often infected with the virus because their immune system is still forming.
"This is a virus that belongs to a large group of enteroviruses. It is stable in the environment and is non-enveloped. Most often, it causes diseases such as diarrhea. But this is not the worst thing that can happen," says Alla Myronenko.
The doctor adds that one of the characteristic symptoms can be specific rashes. It is by these manifestations that doctors can sometimes suspect an infection.
"Specific manifestations of the disease are rashes - characteristic rashes on the legs or on the body. They can be hemorrhagic, that is, with hemorrhages. This is one of the symptoms that can lead a doctor to think about Coxsackie virus," says the doctor of medical sciences.
However, the danger of the virus is not limited to skin manifestations or digestive disorders. In some cases, the infection can cause serious complications. In particular, we are talking about inflammatory processes in the nervous system.
"It can cause so-called serous meningitis. These are not bacterial meningitis with pus, but serous ones. Often, infection occurs when children swim in open reservoirs that can be contaminated with wastewater," notes the virologist.
Alla Myronenko says that even getting water into the nose while diving in reservoirs can be dangerous, and due to the peculiarities of the nasal passages, the virus can sometimes even penetrate the meninges. That is why doctors advise paying close attention to places where children swim.
"Getting water into the nose can lead to viruses penetrating through the cribriform plate into the meninges. There, a serious disease can develop. Usually, it is treated and often passes without consequences, but such cases do occur," explains Alla Myronenko.
Another threat is possible damage to the heart or other organs. Although such cases are rare, doctors warn that the infection can have serious consequences. That is why it is important to seek medical attention in a timely manner.
"Coxsackie virus can cause myocarditis and endocarditis, that is, damage to the heart membranes. In case of endocardium inflammation, blood clots can form, and a person can die. Also, the pancreas can be affected, which sometimes leads to the development of type one diabetes," says the doctor of medical sciences.
However, it is not easy to detect the infection in the laboratory, says the virologist. The reason is that there are many enteroviruses, and standard tests are not always able to determine a specific type. Therefore, doctors often focus primarily on symptoms.
"There are many enteroviruses - more than a hundred of them. PCR systems are created based on the most common variants, so rare types may not be detected. A full virological study with virus isolation and sequencing can take up to six months," explains Alla Myronenko.
Due to the complexity of diagnosis, there is also no specific treatment. Therapy is usually aimed at alleviating symptoms and supporting the body.
"There is no vaccination against this virus, nor is there a specific treatment. That is, there is no drug that can be administered and it will immediately work. Therefore, treatment is usually symptomatic, and children are often hospitalized to monitor their condition and prevent complications," notes the virologist.
The best way to protect yourself from infection is to follow basic hygiene rules, says Alla Myronenko.
"We need to observe sanitary and hygienic standards and think about what we eat. And, of course, wash our hands, because many infections can be contracted through dirty hands," summarizes Alla Myronenko.
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