A mom’s ordeal with adenovirus-caused illness

As a mom, it is difficult enough to deal with one sick child, but to have a younger child catch the same virus is just horrible. That’s what JJ, a mom in Japan has to deal with this week, as she writes in her blog Hiroshima Oyako -

Although we thought it was all over yesterday when it went down, come midnight (doesn’t it always happen in the middle of the night) her fever came back with a vengence. This morning I took her back to the doctor and he was able to get a positive reaction on his adenovirus throat culture test.

It all fits since our 4 year old had bronchitis the week before she came down with a cough and sniffles that led to this fever. The doctor said the incubation period is about 5-7 days. I have also had symptoms of discomfort in my top middle of my stomache which I now understand to likely be gastroenteritis (much better than the ulcer that I thought I gave myself with all these sleepless nights).

Adenoviruses infect the membranes (tissue linings) of the respiratory tract, the eyes, the intestines, and the urinary tract, adenoviruses account for about 10% of acute respiratory infections in children and are a frequent cause of diarrhea (maybe mom JJ has to get looked at for her stomach troubles too). Adenovirus is highly contagious, as indicated by the occurrence of multiple cases in situations of close contact, such as child-care centers, schools, hospitals, and summer camps. Once a child is exposed to adenovirus, symptoms can develop from 2 days to 2 weeks later.

[source: kidshealth; niehs]

Tags: adenovirus, respiratory viral infection, illness, health