Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.
Adenoviruses are spread like the common cold. The viruses can be spread from
person to person via coughing or sneezing. People may also become infected by
touching something with adenovirus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or
eyes. For example, adenoviruses can be transferred to a doorknob when an
infected person sneezes into his/her hands and then touches the doorknob before
washing. Germs can also be spread if an infected person sneezes or coughs onto
tabletops or other items that might be touched by other people. To prevent the
spread of disease, it is important to
practice good health habits.
Adenovirus 14 (Ad14) facts
Adenovirus 14 (Ad14) is
termed the killer cold virus because of the high incidence of hospitalizations
and deaths attributed to the viral strain.
Ad14 viruses are passed
person to person or picked up from items touched by infected people and then
initially invade cells in the eye, nose, or mouth that subsequently allow
further spread to other body organs.
Symptoms and signs resemble those of a
cold (cough, runny nose, mild fever) for about three to five days; the majority of people
clear the disease, but up to about 40% may need hospitalization with severe
symptoms of pneumonia, shortness of breath; other organ related symptoms may
develop such as eye, bladder, and GI problems.
Ad14 is presumptively diagnosed
by history, physical exam, X-ray, and association with Ad14-diagnosed patients;
definitive diagnosis is completed with isolation of the virus from the patient,
a rising titer of antibodies against Ad14, immunofluorescence of Ad14 virus
particles in tissues, or fluids and PCR tests.
Treatments are mainly supportive;
antivirals have been used by some clinicians but there are no studies that prove
efficacy, only case reports.
Complications of Ad14 are related to the severity
of infection; the majority of patients have no complications but hospitalized
patients may have mild to serious complications which are related to the organ
system most damaged (eyes, GI tract, bladder and most notably, lung problems
such as ARDS that may lead to death).
The majority of patients have an
excellent prognosis; however, about 40% of infected patients may have a wide
range of outcomes from good to poor, depending on the severity of the Ad14
infection.
Ad14 infections can be reduced or prevented by careful hygiene
methods; there is no vaccine currently available against Ad14.
The word "rash" means an outbreak of red bumps on the body. The way people use this term, "a rash" can refer to many different skin conditions. The most common of these are scaly patches of skin and red, itchy bumps or patches all over the place.
Pneumonia is inflammation of one or both lungs with consolidation. Pneumonia is frequently but not always due to infection. The infection may be bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic. Symptoms may include fever, chills, cough with sputum production, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Most sore throats are caused by viruses or mechanical causes (such as mouth breathing) and can be treated successfully at home. However, a person should be seen by a health care professional if they have a sore throat that has a rapid onset, and is associated with a fever or tenderness of the front of the neck; a sore throat that causes the person to have difficulty swallowing (not just pain swallowing) or breathing; or if a sore throat lasts for more than a week.
Diarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency are all symptoms of diarrhea. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
Strep throat is a sore throat caused by a bacterium called streptococcus (strep) that can be treated through antibiotics. Common symptoms of strep throat include pinkeye, runny nose, skin rash, cough, hoarseness, diarrhea and more. Complications of untreated strep throat include middle ear infections, meningitis, pneumonia, rheumatic fever, and more.
Bronchitis is a disease of the respiratory system in which the bronchial passages become inflamed. There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Symptoms of acute bronchitis include frequent cough with mucus, lack of energy, wheezing, and possible fever. Treatment may require medication such as bronchial inhalers and predinsone. Supportive treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms with fever reducers, cough suppressants, and rest. Treatment may be more aggressive in patients with pre-existing conditions such as empyema, COPD, or cigarette smoking.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
E. coli is the most common cause of bladder infections. Bladder infection symptoms and signs include frequent urination, burning urination, and foul smelling urine. Mild bladder infections may go away by increasing one's intake of fluid. More severe infections may be treated with a few days of antibiotics.
The common cold (viral upper respiratory tract infection) is a contagious illness that may be caused by various viruses. Symptoms include a stuffy nose, headache, cough, sore throat, and maybe a fever. Antibiotics have no effect upon the common cold, and there is no evidence that zinc and vitamin C are effective treatments.
Influenza (flu) is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. The flu may be prevented with an annual influenza vaccination.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious viral infection. Symptoms include fever and nasal congestion and discharge. Treatment focuses on supportive care.
Fever refers to an elevation in body temperature. Technically, any body temperature above the normal oral measurement of 98.6 F (37 C) or the normal rectal temperature of 99 F (37.2 C) is considered to be elevated. However, these are averages, and
one's normal body temperature may actually be 1 F (0.6 C) or more above or below the average of 98.6 F. Body temperature can also vary up to 1 F (0.6 C) throughout the day.
Fever is not considered medically significant until body temperature is above 100.4 F (38 C). Anything above normal but below 100.4 F (38 C) is considered a low-grade fever. Fever serves as one of the body's natural defenses against bacteria and viruses which cannot live at a higher temperature. For that reason, low fevers should normally go untreated, unless accompanied by troubling symptoms.
Also, the body's defense mechanisms seem to work more efficiently at a higher temperature. Fever is just one part of an illness...
Infectious Disease RSS
Healthy Living Tips
