Articles Index

Rotavirus Update
Outbreaks of rotavirus infections usually occur each year, leading to several days or a week of diarrhea and vomiting. Get an update on how well the RotaTeq rotavirus vaccine has been working and what happened during the 2007 to 2008 rotavirus season.

Rotavirus
Rotavirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in children, causing vomiting, diarrhea, fever. Learn more about the symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and prevention of rotavirus infections.

Childhood Infection Counts
In addition to the flu, you can view activity reports on many other childhood infections, including RSV, rotavirus, adenovirus, and human parainfluenza virus.

Swimmer's Ear - Otitis Externa
Learn how to prevent and treat children with Swimmer's Ear.

Measles
Despite having measles in their target for elimination, measles is unfortunately still a big killer around the world and their continue to be small outbreaks in the United States. Learn about the common symptoms of measles so you can recognize if your child gets sick with this highly contagious infection.

Staph Skin Infections and MRSA
Learn to identify and treat common skin infections caused by the staph bacteria, including impetigo and abscesses.

Whoping Cough
Whoping cough is a common misspelling for whooping cough.

Whooping Cough
Learn about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments for pertussis or whooping cough, which can cause severe coughing spells in children and teens.

Summer Time Infections
There are many infections that are common in the late spring and summer, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and enteroviral infections. All can affect children.

Mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis, or mono, is a common childhood infection that can cause a sore throat, fever, and swollen glands. Review the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments for mono.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Unlike Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is not well known by patients or pediatricians. This is unfortunate, since complications can be serious, like gangrene, and it can be fatal, especially if treatment is not started early.

Pneumonia
Review the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments of pneumonia in children.

Rotovirus
Rotovirus is a common misspelling for rotavirus, although some people consider it an alternative spelling.

Names of Common Childhood Infections
Fifth disease seems like an especially odd name, but it makes sense when you consider the history of pediatrics and that erythema infectiosum was also given the name fifth disease because it was the fifth childhood infection that was known to produce a fever and rash.

Cold Sores
Surprisingly to parents, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), but when it occurs in younger children with a cold sore on their lips or around their mouth, it is not necessarily the same as a genital herpes infection that a teen or adult might have. Learn more about the symptoms and treatments for kids with cold sores.

Cat Scratch Fever
Cat scratch fever or cat scratch disease, as it is also known, is a fairly common, although not well known infectious disease in children. It follows a scratch, lick, or bite by a kitten or cat, causing a slowly enlarging lymph gland, among other symptoms. Learn about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of children with cat scratch fever.

RSV
Learn the basics of RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus infections and bronchiolitis.

Impetigo
Learn how to diagnosis and treat children with impetigo, a bacterial skin infection that typically causes honey colored crusted lesions.

The Mumps Outbreak
Learn more about the latest mumps outbreak in Iowa, including the symptoms of mumps, and see if your kids are at risk for getting mumps.

Ear Infections and Language Development
Ear infections are common in children and can cause symptoms of ear pain, fever, trouble sleeping and irritability. Learn about treatments for acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion (fluid), and how ear infections can affect hearing and language learning.

Symptoms of West Nile Virus
Although children are thought to be at low risk from the West Nile Virus, it is important to know the symptoms if your child gets sick and has recently had a mosquito bite.

Staff Skin Infections and MRSA
Staff is a common misspelling for the word staph. Learn to identify and treat common skin infections caused by the staph bacteria, including impetigo and abscesses.

Thrush - An Oral Yeast Infection
Thrush is a common infection that causes white patches inside a child's mouth. Learn about treating and preventing this common yeast infection.