The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Chicken pox in the air

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Thursday, Mar 06, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Chicken pox in the air

Staff Reporter

Nodal hospital for seasonal diseases receiving over 40 patients daily
Large number of patients are children aged between 12 and 15 years

HYDERABAD: With exam season in full swing, a bout of chicken-pox at this juncture is very undesirable. With cases of chicken-pox getting reported, rather frequently, in private clinics and government hospitals of twin cities, a few preventive measures is all it takes to beat this ‘seasonal-disease’.

The nodal hospital for seasonal diseases, Sir Roland Ross Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nallakunta is receiving over 40 patients with chicken pox, mostly children, on a daily basis.

The doctors predict that this trend would last till the end of March and suggest precautionary measures, to avoid and also to effectively manage chicken pox.

Every year, the numbers of such cases at this hospital range between 150 and 200 cases. Private clinics and hospitals receive even more number of chicken pox cases. A large number of patients are children aged between 12 and 15 years, who are getting admitted in Fever hospital.

“Since it’s the exam season, parents should be careful. According to trends, chicken pox should taper-off by March ending,” said Fever hospital Superintendent Dr. P.P. Prasad. Doctors recommend that kids aged between 12 to 18 months should be vaccinated against the infection. Dealing with the discomfort of the infection is vital and children should be given rest instead of being sent to school during infection.

Doctors suggest isolation of affected children, making them wear smooth clothes and hand gloves to prevent them from scratching, keeping the affected parts dry, clipping finger-nails of children, giving soft diet as affected children could have sores in their mouths and bathing them in cool water once or twice to reduce itching.

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