Myths and facts of 5 diseases

Here is some vital information about myths and facts of 5 diseases.

Rotavirus

Myth – "Diarrhoea is only a problem in developing countries."

Fact – Although diarrhoea is a significant problem in less developed countries, it also constitutes a large public health burden in the developed countries1.

Almost every child in the world will suffer from diarrhoea caused by rotavirus gastroenteritis before the age of five, with some cases leading to severe illness 2.

Myth – "Diarrhoea will generally clear up in a day or so."

Fact – Sometimes this can be the case, but children suffering from rotavirus gastroenteritis can have diarrhoea which last for up to a week1.

Symptoms or diarrhoea can lead to other health conditions such as dehydration and malnutrition3.

Chickenpox

Myth – "It is unnecessary to give my child the chickenpox vaccine because everyone must be infected with chickenpox at least once in a life time."

Fact – Chickenpox can be a fairly mild disease, but it is not always. There is no way to know who will have a mild case and who will be very sick4.

The disease can also cause serious problems, including4:

Bacterial infection of the skin and tissues under the skin

Dehydration (loss of body fluids) from vomiting or diarrhea

Pneumonia (lung infection)

Encephalitis (brain swelling)

Myth – "It is good to "clear" the impurities from the body by having as many ‘pox’ or lesions as possible."

Fact – This is not true. Possible complications of chickenpox infection include skin infection such as sores becoming more red, swollen, or tender5.

Avoid scratching as it can cause scarring, and affect the healing process, increasing the risk of a bacterial infection5.

Seek immediate medical attention if the following conditions occur5:

The rash spreads to one or both eyes.

The rash gets very red, warm or tender indicating a possible secondary bacterial skin infection.

The rash is accompanied by dizziness, disorientation, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, tremors, loss of muscle coordination, worsening cough, vomiting,, stiff neck or high fever.

Hepatitis A

Myth – "My child can get Hepatitis A through blood transfusion."

Fact – Hepatitis A is not transmitted through blood transfusion. It typically spreads via either person-to-person contact, or consumption of contaminated food or water, ice, or shellfish harvested from sewage-contaminated water; or from contaminated raw fruits, vegetables, or other foods. Hepatitis A virus is shed in the faeces of infected people6.

Hepatitis B, on the other hand, is transmitted by contact with contaminated blood, blood products, and other body fluids (such as semen)7.

Myth – "I won’t get Hepatitis A because I don’t eat cockles."

Fact – Hepatitis A is not only transmitted via cockles. Other types of food had also been implicated in Hepatitis A outbreaks before, such as mixed berries in Italy and strawberries in the Nordic countries in 20138,9.

Hepatitis A virus infections often occur in conditions of poor sanitation and overcrowding. Outbreaks of Hepatitis A have resulted from those infected food handlers who failed to wash their hands after going to the toilet10.

Whooping Cough

Myth – "Whooping cough is not serious."

Fact – In babies, whooping cough can be very serious and can even be fatal, with unvaccinated and partially vaccinated babies at particular risk11. Whooping cough, when severe, can lead to pneumonia, fits, brain damage and in rare cases, even death. Most hospitalizations and deaths from whooping cough occur in babies under 12 months of age12.

In older children and adults, whooping cough is generally milder; however, they can still experience prolonged bouts of coughing for many weeks, resulting in sleep disturbances and in rare cases, pneumonia, rib fracture and seizures13.

Myth – "I do not need immunisation against whooping cough as I have had whooping cough, or been immunised when I was a child."

Fact – Immunisation or catching the disease itself helps to build immunity against whooping cough. However, your immunity will reduce over time and re-infection can occur14.

So, even if you have previously been immunised or had the disease itself, speak to your doctor about whether you need a booster against whooping cough, especially if you are in close contact with babies and young children.

Flu

Myth – "The seasonal flu is annoying but harmless, therefore there is no need to get vaccinated."

Fact – Influenza is a respiratory illness which is highly contagious. It is a serious condition because the infection, at times, can lead to complications and even death. Those who are at risk of serious flu complications like older people, young children and people with certain chronic conditions should get vaccinated15.

Myth – "I have taken the flu vaccine last year, so I do not need to vaccinate again."

Fact - A yearly vaccination is recommended as flu viruses are constantly changing, and your body’s immunity to influenza viruses may decline over time. Thus, getting vaccinated every year provides the best protection against influenza15.

Written by

Minoli Almeida

flusick childchicken poxdiseasesrotaviruschildhood illnessesmeasles