Bostonka attacked in Podhale. Doctor: This is the common name for two different diseases

Even several dozen cases a day among preschoolers and first-graders of primary schools – this is the balance of Boston in Zakopane or Nowy Targ. Children develop a rash on the lips, hands and feet, there may also be fever, lack of appetite, cough or runny nose. “Bostonka” is a colloquial name that can refer to two different diseases.

1. Skin symptoms associated with fever, lack of appetite or weakness may indicate an infection with one of the enteroviruses or ECHO viruses in children.
2. Children under 10 years of age are most at risk of infection. The most common focus of Boston are nurseries and kindergartens
3. You can’t immunize against Boston. Infection occurs through droplets or through dirty hands
4. Check your health. Just answer these questions
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Boston is not really Boston

For several days, the media has been talking about the Boston, which attacked children in Podhale. There are even several dozen infections among small citizens per day. However, to be precise, the disease suffered by the children from Podhale is not Boston at all.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Syndrome (HFMS) is a clinical syndrome caused by a number of enteroviruses, most commonly including Coxsackie viruses [read koksaki] A5, A9, A10, A16, B1, and B3 and enterovirus 71. The terms “Boston disease” used are incorrect. Although in the past, skin lesions in the course of Coxackie A9 infection have been called “Boston rash”, but they have never been synonymous with HMFS, which is a separate disease

– writes on his Facebook profile virologist and immunologist prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska. The specialist adds that the disease has been known since 1948, when it caused an epidemic in the American town of Coxsackie.

So there is no question of a new mysterious disease that hit the children of Podhale unexpectedly. HFMS appears seasonally when it gets warm. Most often, infections occur in summer, but outbreaks may also break out in late winter or early spring.

I am surprised that there is talk of this disease now, because it has always been with us and there is a “season” for it every year. The frequency of its occurrence does not depend on a specific region, but rather on the recorded temperature

– says in an interview with PAP Dr. Monika Wanke-Rytt, MD, director of children’s treatment at the Teaching Hospital of the University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw.

How do children get boston?

HFMS is said to be the so-called dirty hands disease. This means that children become infected with the virus through poor hygiene. It is also spread by droplets, but also through contact with the patient’s secretions (e.g. left on toys or a towel).

High hygiene and frequent hand washing (after using the toilet, after changing the baby’s diaper) are of key importance in preventing the spread of infection in this way. Viruses may be excreted in the stool for several weeks after the skin changes have cleared

– writes prof. Szuster-Ciesielska.

The rest of the text is below the video.

Boston symptoms in children

The symptoms of the disease are relatively easy to recognize. The most characteristic symptom is salmon-colored bubbles that appear around and inside the mouth, as well as on the hands and feet. The skin reaction may also be accompanied by fever, cough, runny nose, enlarged lymph nodes, sore throat, weakness, apathy or lack of appetite.

The above symptoms accompany HFMS disease, but the colloquial name of Boston is also used to describe another set of ailments – caused by ECHO viruses. In this case, it is a migrating rash that spreads from the face to the neck, chest, and hands. However, the symptoms of this disease do not appear on the feet.

Most often, children have a hard time with Boston, and the symptoms of the disease disappear after a few days. Sometimes, however, complications occur (about 1 in 100 cases). Then the Boston disease can lead to inflammation of the liver, kidneys, meninges or the heart muscle.

How is Boston treated?

There are no drugs that will work against the cause of Boston Disease, one of the viruses that causes it. Therefore, only symptomatic treatment is at stake – antipyretics for fever, rash ointments or rinses to alleviate changes in the mouth.

Your baby should rest and hydrate properly. Symptoms should resolve spontaneously.

At the same time, we encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we talked about supplementation. What is their phenomenon? How to use them to help yourself and not to harm yourself? What is worth paying attention to in supplementation with thyroid problems? Why you need to be careful with biotin? You will hear about this and many other things below.

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3. Two weeks from infection records. Will there be a jump in deaths?
4. Prof. Krzysztof Simon: We cannot talk about the end of the epidemic yet