Common Summer Illnesses in Children: Top 10 Issues

Diarrhea is the body's way of eliminating bacteria, and most episodes in children last from a few days to a week. Diarrhea can be accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, and even a rash. While diarrhea can occur throughout the year, it is most prevalent in the summer. There are two types of diarrhea in children: Acute diarrhea in children lasts for less than 14 days. It is often caused by food or water contaminated with bacteria or viruses. Chronic diarrhea in children lasts for several weeks and can result from various factors, most commonly infections, parasitic infestations, or issues with digestion and food allergies.

Causes:

• Part of the cause is hot weather, perishable food, the proliferation of flies, and environmental pollution spreading diarrheal pathogens.
• Infants with digestive disorders or intestinal infections, poor nutrient absorption, or allergies to food may experience diarrhea. Additionally, infants allergic to milk or mothers using excessive laxative foods and drugs during breastfeeding may also suffer from diarrhea.

Symptoms:

• Loose stools can occur infrequently (3-5 times/day) or frequently (several dozen times/day).
• Abdominal pain in episodes or continuously accompanied by straining.
• Pain around the anus; nausea or vomiting.

Preventive Measures:

• Ensure proper handwashing for children with soap before meals and after using the toilet.
• Dispose of children's waste in the right place, maintaining hygiene.
• Regularly bathe and maintain daily hygiene for children.
• For breastfeeding infants, avoid additional foods as breast milk provides sufficient, balanced nutrients. Breastfeed for at least 6 months to ensure the child's health and hygiene.
• If a child shows signs of diarrhea, take them to a healthcare facility or hospital immediately for medical advice and treatment. Avoid self-treatment at home, as it may lead to more severe conditions, with the child losing fluids and electrolytes.
  

Measles Virus is an RNA virus belonging to the Morbillivirus genus within the Paramyxoviridae family, with humans as its only natural host. Measles is a widespread and highly infectious disease, making it prone to outbreaks due to its rapid transmission. According to UNICEF, measles is more contagious than Ebola, tuberculosis, or the flu. The virus can spread when an infected person touches a surface or object, and then touches their mouth or nose, or eats without washing hands. Highly contagious through inhaling respiratory droplets from an infected person's sneeze or cough, the measles virus infects the respiratory tract and can be fatal, especially for malnourished or very young children who have not been vaccinated.

Causes:

• Measles is an acute infectious disease caused by the measles virus, commonly affecting children under 5 years old.
• The disease primarily spreads from person to person through the respiratory route.

Symptoms:

• Initiation phase (inflammatory phase): lasts 2-4 days. Children often experience high fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes with discharge due to inflammation of the respiratory tract and conjunctivitis, sometimes accompanied by a hoarse cough and voice due to acute laryngitis.
• Full eruption phase (rash phase): lasts 2-5 days. After a high fever for 3-4 days, a characteristic measles rash begins to appear sequentially from head to toe: pink, slightly raised spots with a sandy texture, disappearing when stretched. It starts behind the ears, at the nape, forehead, face, and neck, gradually spreading to the body and limbs, even on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Sometimes, itching may accompany the rash. When the rash reaches the feet, the fever gradually subsides if there are no complications.
• Recovery phase (fading rash phase): the rash fades to a pale color and turns grayish, peeling off with a dark-colored flaky appearance, leaving behind tiger-stripe skin markings, and disappearing in the same order as when it appeared. If there are no complications, the disease resolves on its own. Persistent cough may last 1-2 weeks after the rash disappears.

Preventive Measures:

• Vaccination is the only way to prevent measles; ensure children receive timely measles vaccination.
• Additionally, to reduce the risk of transmission, practice frequent handwashing with soap and consider isolation if there is suspicion of measles virus infection.
  

Dengue Fever, or Dengue, is one of the leading causes of mortality in children. Dengue fever in children manifests in various forms and follows a complex progression. The onset of the disease is often sudden, and it rapidly progresses from mild to severe through three stages: the fever stage, the critical stage, and the recovery stage. When signs of dengue fever are observed in children, it is crucial to immediately take them to a hospital for examination and diagnosis. Subsequently, most cases of dengue fever in children can be treated at home (outpatient treatment) with scheduled follow-up appointments.

Causes: Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the Dengue virus. The Aedes mosquito is the vector responsible for transmitting the Dengue virus from an infected person to a healthy individual.

Symptoms:

• The initial symptom is a fever lasting up to 7 days. Children do not experience coughing, runny nose, or diarrhea.
• Characteristic circular, small hemorrhagic spots, resembling mosquito bites, often appear on the arms and shins.
• Children may experience abdominal pain on the upper right side due to an enlarged liver.
• Bleeding gums, vomiting, or passing black stools (black diarrhea).
• In severe cases, children may suffer from circulatory collapse (shock): cold extremities, lethargy, and a faint pulse. This symptom typically occurs from the third to the fifth day of the fever.

Preventive Measures:

• Regularly bathe and maintain personal hygiene for children.
• Eliminate stagnant water, cover containers, and close water storage facilities to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Use mosquito nets carefully during sleep to prevent mosquitoes from entering, and regularly clean the child's bed.
• If there are signs of illness, families should take the child to the nearest medical station or hospital for examination.

Heat rash, or prickly heat, is a common skin condition in humid, hot weather. The condition is not painful but can cause itching, discomfort, and the development of large bumps that may be painful, especially when the child's clothing rubs against the rash or when touching the bumps. Heat rash is a benign condition, and in most cases, cases do not require hospital treatment. However, if complications or severe infections occur, it is advisable to take the child to the hospital for appropriate treatment.

Causes:

• Heat rash occurs when sweat ducts become blocked, leading to sweat accumulation. The sweat ducts are prone to dust or obstruction, causing inflammation and the appearance of small, pink bumps on the skin.
• The condition is common in children, especially during the summer when sweat ducts are not fully developed, and the hot summer weather causes increased sweating, but the sweat cannot escape, leading to sweat accumulation and duct blockage.

Symptoms:

• Children develop small water-filled bumps clustered on a red rash.
• Children may become fussy, itchy, restless, and uncomfortable.
  
• Scratching may cause skin abrasions, infection, resulting in pus-filled bumps or blisters on the skin.
  
• Heat rash primarily occurs in areas with many sweat glands, such as the forehead, neck, shoulders, chest, and back, but can also occur in areas like the armpits and groin.

Preventive Measures:

• Regularly bathe and maintain personal hygiene for children. Consider using leaves such as basil or guava leaves when bathing children during the summer.
• Allow children to play in cool, well-ventilated areas to minimize sweating.
• If a child has heat rash, avoid applying baby powder on the child's skin, as it can block sweat ducts and lead to increased rash.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is a contagious infection transmitted from person to person, leading to the outbreak of the disease caused by the enteric virus. Its characteristic manifestation is the damage to the skin and mucous membranes in the form of concentrated water blisters, mainly located in the mouth, palms, and soles. The primary transmission route of hand, foot, and mouth disease is through the digestive system from the saliva or feces of infected children. Therefore, places with a high risk of infection and the development of outbreaks include kindergartens and nurseries...

Cause:

• Hand, foot, and mouth disease in children is an infectious disease caused by the enteric virus, primarily transmitted through the digestive system, from person to person.
• The disease is most common in children under 5 years old, especially in the group under 3 years old.

Symptoms:

• Incubation period (3-7 days): the child usually has no symptoms.
• Onset stage (1-2 days): with symptoms such as mild fever, fatigue, sore throat, loss of appetite, and diarrhea a few times a day.
• Full-blown disease stage (3-10 days): the child develops mouth ulcers with sores reaching a diameter of 2-3 mm on the oral mucosa, gums, and tongue. The rash spreads widely and leaves dark marks. The child has mild fever, vomiting, and is at risk of complications affecting the nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. The child will recover on their own after 3 to 5 days if it is hand, foot, and mouth disease in young children caused by coxsackievirus A16.

Preventive measures:

• Frequently bathe and maintain personal hygiene for children.
• Regularly clean children's toys, utensils, and places where children come into contact and play.
• Clean the child's hands and feet before playing together.
• Ensure that the child eats hygienic food, avoiding unhygienic and unclear food sources. Do not let the child share napkins and towels with others.
• Dispose of the child's waste properly, in a sanitary manner.

Chickenpox (also known as varicella) was once confused with smallpox for a long time until the 19th century. The disease is common in children under 10 years old and began to decline sharply from 1970 when scientists discovered the varicella vaccine. Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This virus has a size of about 150-200mm, with a DNA core. Infected individuals develop a rash, small water-filled blisters that itch. The disease is highly contagious to those who have not been vaccinated or never been infected with the varicella-zoster virus.

Cause:

• Chickenpox is an acute illness caused by infection with the Varicella Zoter virus. The virus can survive for several days in chickenpox scabs when it flakes off and exists in the air.
• The disease is transmitted from person to person through the respiratory tract via direct contact, through throat secretions, or fluid from chickenpox blisters.

Symptoms:

• Patients often experience fatigue, headaches, mild fever, runny nose, sore throat, and red rash on the skin starting in the head and eyes and spreading throughout the body. The transmission period of the disease is 1-2 days before the rash appears and within 5 days after the first appearance of blisters. The disease lasts from 7-10 days.
• This is also a benign disease, with no severe symptoms other than water blisters, but it is prone to skin infections where water blisters occur, leading to blood infections and, rarely, meningitis. Pregnant women with chickenpox are very dangerous for the fetus and can cause miscarriage or leave defects in the fetus.

Preventive measures:

• Effectively prevent and avoid chickenpox by limiting contact with the infected person to prevent the spread. Cases of chickenpox should be absent from school or work for 7 to 10 days from the onset of the disease to avoid transmission to those around them. Wash hands frequently with soap, and maintain daily throat hygiene with physiological saline solution.
• Vaccination against chickenpox for children is the safest and most effective preventive measure.

Viral fever, also known as super flu, is a common disease in children during the summer. The disease is caused by various viruses, mainly respiratory viruses. The disease is highly contagious and can quickly become an epidemic. Because children's bodies do not have enough immunity to resist disease-causing agents, many children have to be hospitalized for viral fever during the summer. Normally, there are always parasitic viruses in the respiratory and digestive tracts of the body. When favorable conditions occur, they will develop and cause illness.

Cause:

• Viral fever, also known as super flu, is caused by various viruses, with respiratory viruses being the most common.
• Viral fever can occur at any time of the year, but it increases significantly during the peak summer or rainy season.
• The disease is transmitted from person to person through the respiratory and digestive tracts, making it easy to form an epidemic.

Symptoms:

• Symptoms of viral fever in children often include high fever, ranging from 38-39 degrees Celsius, which can rise to 40-41 degrees Celsius, with each episode separated by a few hours. Children may exhibit symptoms of upper respiratory inflammation such as sneezing, runny nose, cough, etc. The child may be irritable but still alert, not lethargic. When having a fever due to a virus, the fever symptoms may persist for several days, conventional fever-reducing medications may not help much.
• Usually, after a short period, the fever will subside, and the disease will gradually decrease on its own, but symptoms of fatigue and prolonged cough may persist for weeks. The child may develop a fine red rash, usually appearing on the 2nd-4th day of the illness, and the rash often progresses sequentially from the face down to the body, legs, and when it disappears, it follows the same sequence. In addition, children often have swollen lymph nodes in the neck, which can be painful and persistent.

Preventive measures:

• Keep the house and surrounding environment clean, cool, and prevent the entry of harmful agents.
  
• Have a scientifically nutritious diet to enhance the child's immunity.
  
• Vaccinate/immunize the child adequately.
  
• Maintain personal hygiene, wash hands before eating, after using the toilet, limit allowing children to put toys in their mouths.
  
• Limit the child's exposure to those who are sick or go to crowded places.

Influenza is an acute respiratory bacterial infection caused by the influenza virus. It usually occurs in the winter and spring when the body struggles to adapt to weather changes. Without early and proper treatment, dangerous complications can arise. Influenza is an acute viral infection caused by influenza A or B viruses. The disease easily spreads from person to person, causing sudden symptoms such as abrupt fever, cough (often dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, and runny nose. Most patients recover within a week without requiring medical care. However, in some cases, influenza can lead to severe complications and death. Therefore, patients must be aware of prompt and thorough treatment.

Causes:

• Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the influenza virus. While in most cases, the disease only localizes in the upper respiratory tract with a benign progression, it can lead to death when complications occur.
• Seasonal influenza often causes outbreaks, even pandemics, resulting in a significant number of deaths.

Symptoms:

• During the incubation period (about 2 days), patients usually show initial signs such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, poor appetite, and fatigue.
• Later on, symptoms of nasal congestion, cough, and runny nose appear.
• In young children, symptoms of ear pain, sore throat, swollen glands, diarrhea, pain, and vomiting may occur. Generally, clinical symptoms of influenza are usually limited to the upper respiratory tract.
  
• After 5 days, fever and other symptoms almost disappear, but cough and fatigue may still persist. All symptoms and feelings of fatigue will disappear within 1 or 2 weeks.

Preventive measures:

• Ensure personal hygiene, cover mouth when sneezing, regularly wash hands with soap, maintain daily nasal and throat hygiene with saline solution.
• Keep the body warm, eat a nutritious diet to enhance immunity.
  
• Get vaccinated against seasonal influenza.
• Limit contact with flu patients or suspected cases when unnecessary.
• When symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, headache, and fatigue occur, promptly seek medical attention for timely examination and treatment.

Japanese Encephalitis is an extremely dangerous infectious disease with a mortality rate of up to 30%, accompanied by permanent consequences such as mental disorders, paralysis, language disorders, seizures, convulsions, and bedridden conditions in half of the survivors. Japanese Encephalitis is an acute infectious disease, causing severe central nervous system infections in children and adults. It is one of the infectious diseases that leave severe and permanent sequelae, causing disability, loss of labor capacity, and placing a burden on families and society.

Causes:

• JE does not spread directly from person to person.
• The disease is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. Mosquitoes feed on infected animals (usually pigs) and then bite humans, transmitting the disease to them.
  

Symptoms:

• The disease often has very acute symptoms, including sudden high fever, headache, vomiting; various degrees of mental disorders: delirium, hallucinations, lethargy accompanied by convulsions, abnormal movements, or paralysis. The mortality rate can be as high as 10%-20%.

Preventive measures:

• The Preventive Health Department states that Japanese Encephalitis has a vaccine, so vaccination is the most important, effective, and feasible preventive measure.

Conjunctivitis, commonly known as red eye, is one of the common eye conditions. While not overly dangerous, it causes discomfort and affects the daily activities of the patient. Conjunctivitis is essentially the vernacular term for inflammation of the conjunctiva. It occurs when the transparent layer on the surface of the eyeball (or the white of the eye) and the conjunctiva are inflamed and infected. The disease can be found in anyone from adults to young children. Especially, within a short period, red eye can easily become an outbreak as it spreads from one person to another through direct contact. Conjunctivitis is usually not serious, does not leave lasting effects, and can resolve on its own within a week. However, the disease can recur multiple times in an individual because the human body cannot produce lifelong immunity to this disease.

Causes:

• The cause of conjunctivitis is due to the Adenovirus or infection, but mostly due to the virus.
• Conjunctivitis is highly prone to become an epidemic, and the likelihood of transmission is through direct contact with the patient through various means such as respiratory droplets, saliva, hands, through touching objects, personal belongings of the source, such as towels, face wash basins, or through habits like rubbing the eyes, touching the nose, or mouth...

Symptoms:

• Red eye is a commonly encountered disease that occurs at all ages and usually increases when the weather changes. The initial symptoms of the disease include a burning sensation in the eyes, pain, a feeling of sand in the eyes, blurry vision, and swollen, teary eyes.
• Early signs may include red, itchy, watery eyes, and may have a mild fever.

Preventive measures:

• To prevent the disease, personal hygiene should be maintained regularly, hands should be washed with antiseptic solution, and attention should be paid not to share face towels, wash basins, and especially eye dropper bottles.
• Avoid rubbing the eyes and especially do not swim during the outbreak.
• There is advice for everyone in the family to avoid hugging when children are sick, sleep separately, or sleep with different pillows.
• Do not share belongings with the person with red eyes and avoid direct contact (conversation) with the person with red eyes.
• Limit going to crowded places, especially sources of infection.
• To prevent the disease, avoid contact with objects that are susceptible to the source of the disease (tears containing the patient's virus).
• Wash hands with antibacterial soap, which is a very effective preventive measure against the disease.