Cellulitis

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and underlying tissues that can affect any area of the body. It often begins in an area of broken skin, like a cut or scratch, when bacteria invade and spread, causing inflammation, pain, swelling, warmth, and redness. Causes Conditions that create breaks in the skin and allow bacteria to enter, such as eczema and severe acne, will put a child at risk for document.write(defcellulitis146)cellulitiscellulit

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Cat Scratch Disease

Cat scratch disease is a bacterial infection that typically causes swelling of the lymph nodes. It usually results from the scratch, lick, or bite of a cat — more than 90% of people with the illness have had some kind of contact with cats, often with kittens. Bartonella henselae is the bacterium that causes cat scratch disease, and it's found in all parts of the world. Cat scratch disease occurs more often in the fall and winter. In the United

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Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is usually found in animals such as mice and deer. Ixodes ticks can pick up the bacteria when they bite an infected animal, then transmit it to a person, which can lead to Lyme disease. Ticks live in grass and shrubs and attach themselves to a suitable host as it passes by. Ticks are small and can be hard to see. Immature ticks, or nymphs, are about the si

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Campylobacter Infections

Campylobacter bacteria, usually transmitted in contaminated food or water, can infect the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea, fever, and cramps. Practicing good hand-washing and food safety habits will help prevent Campylobacter infections (or campylobacteriosis), which usually clear up on their own but sometimes are treated with antibiotics. Campylobacter infects over 2 million people each year, and it's a leading cause of diarrhea and

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Otitis Externa

Otitis externa — commonly known as swimmer's ear — is an infection of the ear canal, the tubular opening that carries sounds from the outside of the body to the eardrum. It can be caused by many different types of bacteria or fungi. The infection commonly occurs in kids who spend a lot of time in the water. Too much moisture in the ear can irritate and break down the skin in the canal, allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate. In temperate clima

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Pneumocystis Pneumonia

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is an infection caused by Pneumocystis carinii, a microscopic fungus that lives in the lungs of many people. The infection usually causes no symptoms in healthy people, but can cause pneumonia in infants who have AIDS, cancer, or other conditions that affect the immune system. In kids who are already seriously ill, symptoms of this form of pneumocystis pneumonia begin suddenly with a fever, a cough, and diff

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Croup

The term croup does not refer to a single illness, but rather a group of conditions involving inflammation of the upper airway that leads to a cough that sounds like a bark, particularly when a child is crying. Most croup is caused by viruses, but similar symptoms may occasionally be caused by bacteria or an allergic reaction. The viruses most commonly involved are parainfluenza virus (accounting for most cases), adenovirus, respiratory syncyti

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Genital Warts

Genital warts, sometimes called venereal warts, are growths or bumps contracted through sexual contact. They're caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Symptoms In females, genital warts appear in and around the vagina or anus or on the cervix. In males, they appear on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. Genital warts can be raised or flat, small or large

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Cold Sores

Cold sores are small and painful blisters that can appear around the mouth, face, or nose. They are sometimes referred to as fever blisters, and they're caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Kids can get cold sores by kissing or sharing eating utensils with an infected person. Usually, HSV-1 cause cold sores in the mouth or face, and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) causes lesions in the genital area, resulting in genital herpes. Bu

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Giardiasis

Giardiasis, an illness that affects the digestive tract, is caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lamblia. The parasite attaches itself to the lining of the small intestines in humans, where it sabotages the body's absorption of fats and carbohydrates from digested foods. Giardia is one of the chief causes of diarrhea in the United States, and is transmitted through contaminated water. It can survive the normal amounts of chlorine use

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Chickenpox

Chickenpox is a common illness among kids, particularly those under age 12. An itchy rash of spots that look like blisters can appear all over the body and may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Symptoms usually go away without treatment, but because the infection is very contagious, an infected child should stay home and rest until the symptoms are gone. Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Kids can be protected from VZV

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Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that's usually caused by the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2), although it can also be caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), which normally causes cold sores around the mouth. In some cases, genital herpes causes blisters and pain in the genital area, but in others, it doesn't cause any symptoms, so someone who is infected could unknowingly pass it on to others. Sometimes people w

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Ascariasis

Ascariasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasitic roundworm. While it is the most common human infection caused by worms in the world, ascariasis is not common in the United States. It occurs in varying prevalence worldwide, with far greater frequency in areas with poor sanitation or crowded living conditions. Signs and Symptoms Although no symptoms may occur, the greater the number of worms involved in the infestation, the more seve

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Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is a common illness of the respiratory tract caused by an infection that affects the tiny airways, called the bronchioles, that lead to the lungs. As these airways become inflamed, they swell and fill with mucus, making breathing difficult. Bronchiolitis: most often affects infants and young children because their small airways can become blocked more easily than those of older kids or adultstypically occurs during the first 2 ye

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