Threat Of Encephalitis, Tomato Fever Looming Over Kids

New Delhi: While the world is still grappling with COVID-19, another infectious disease, Monkeypox, has its raised its head. Over 15,000 cases of Monkeypox, an endemic in parts of Africa, have been reported in several countries. There have been three cases in India so far.

With the recent detection of Monkeypox among children, there is a concern over the number of diseases that are putting children at risk of getting affected. Two children in the US have been diagnosed with monkeypox in the US, health officials said Friday. The younger age groups in the country have also been at risk of diseases including encephalitis, dengue and swine flu.

In Africa, monkeypox infections in children have been more common, and doctors have noted higher proportions of severe cases and deaths in young children.

A matter of concern are:

Dengue

A rising number of children are also facing dengue-induced haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) syndrome in Pune. According to doctors, three to four patients (children and adults) with dengue-induced HLH were being treated at big hospitals in Pune earlier this month.

Similarly, dengue cases among children were also reported in Karnataka and Telangana.

Japanese Encephalitis

There has been a rising toll of Japanese Encephalitis in Assam. It went up to 38 this month, an official release said on Friday. The disease primarily affects children and most adults in endemic countries have natural immunity after childhood infection, but individuals of any age may be affected, according to a report in News18.

According to the WHO, most infections are mild with fever and headache or without apparent symptoms. However, approximately 1 in 250 infections results in severe clinical illness and the incubation period is between 4-14 days.

In children, gastrointestinal pain and vomiting may be the dominant initial symptoms. Severe disease is characterized by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and ultimately death. The case-fatality rate can be as high as 30% among those with disease symptoms.

Swine flu

There was a rising trend of H1N1 (swine flu) cases in Maharashtra in June. As of June 22, there were over 142 swine flu infections, with three deaths in Kolhapur and two deaths each from Pune and Thane. Children younger than 5 years of age are at a higher risk of contracting the disease, especially those younger than 2 years.

According to a report in The Indian Express, doctors have noted swine flu in the paediatric population too. “There is a mixed bag, with children being detected with flu, dengue, and hand, foot and mouth disease—which is a mild contagious infection characterised by sores in the mouth and rashes on hands and feet. This season we are seeing a share of H1N1 cases,” Dr Lalwani, medical director at the Bharati Hospital, said.

Tomato fever

Kerala has witnessed the spread of Tomato fever, a flu that mostly affects children below the age of 5.

As of last week, a small of part of Kollam district had the virus but a spread is possible, officials warned. While some reports claim 80 cases of the infection have been recorded in the state till now, others go as far as 100. Earlier, in May, the Health Minister had warned the people of the State to not panic as Tomato fever is endemic in Kerala.

What should parents do?

As children remain at risk of water-borne diseases, experts say they should be kept hydrated. It is advisable to avoid oily and spicy food during the monsoon and eat meals high in vitamin C and other nutrients.