An Adenoviral infection is something that affects mostly infants and toddlers. It is considered an acute respiratory infection. Children who go to day care centers and school can become infected with adenovirus, more frequently than those who do not. According to many doctors the most common time of year that this particular virus appears is during the late winter, and early spring months. All children by the time they reach the age of ten or eleven will have had an adenoviral infection at some point in their lives. There are also various types of adenovirus that can infect a child, which is why they can catch it more than once. Janice Warren explains that this infection was very scary for her child.
One type is known as Febrille respiratory disease, which happens to be an infection of the respiratory tract and is a result of the adenoviral infection. Some symptoms of this illness are fever, sore throat, congested or stuffy nose, cough, and swollen glands. Some other types of illnesses that can be caused by adenoviral infections are Gastroenteritis, Urinary tract infections, and various types of eye infections. If you suspect that your children may have any of the illness listed here, then you should immediately take them to see their doctor to have them properly diagnosed and treated. You should also keep in mind that adenovirus is very contagious. This is why you should always stress the important of proper hygiene to your children.
In order to treat adenoviral illnesses most doctors will want to run some test in order to make sure they prescribe the proper treatments. In most cases this will require a stool specimen or a blood and urine sample. Of course the testing method will vary depending on the symptoms. Adenoviral infections in most cases will not require your child to be hospitalized, but if your child has lost a large amount of fluid due to vomiting they may need to be dehydrated. Of course the child’s age will play a large role in what the doctor prescribes for treatment. Over the counter cold remedies and antibiotics don’t usually work for these types of infections, so your doctor may just prescribe plenty of rest and fluids.
The majority of adenoviral infections will last no longer than one to two weeks, however some may last longer if it is a more serious case. Of course you may be thinking how can you protect your child from adenoviral infections? To be honest there really is no guaranteed way to prevent it, but by teaching your children proper hygiene, such as frequently washing their hands, you can help to minimize their chances of infection. It is still very possible for your child to have a more serious condition since adenoviral infections have some of the same symptoms with many known disease and infections. This is why I can not stress enough the importance of getting your child to their doctor immediately, if you suspect they may have some type of infection. For additional information you can visit the following websites: www.healthsystem.virginia.edu, pediatrics.aappublications.org, www.childrenshospital.org.