Материал: Глебова Е.И. - Английский язык для медицинских специалистов, 2012

During this time the child may be contagious. The period of communicability is the period when the organism can move from the host to another individual. The symptomatic period is when the patient’s symptoms like fever, rash, swollen glands and others are evident. And the last one is the recovery period when all the symptoms are subsided and functions of organs are restored.

Diphtheria is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria. A characteristic sign and the most serious symptom is severe respiratory distress. Exotoxin produced by bacteria causes myocarditis and neurological problems.

Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a bacterial respiratory disease. This disease is life-threatening in young children. Severe paroxysmal cough results in severe respiratory distress. Possible complications are seizures, pneumonia, encephalopathy, and death.

Measles is a viral infection producing fever, harsh cough, maculopapular rash, photophobia, and Koplic spots on buccal mucosa. Flat and red rash begins behind the ears, spreads to the face, trunk and extremities. Potential complications are pneumonia, otitis, and encephalitis. Health care is aimed at keeping room darkened and providing antipruritic measures.

German measles (rubella) is a viral infection causing low-grade temperature, headache, sore throat, lymphadenopathy, and pink maculopapular rash. It is a very mild disease. Flat red rash begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. No specific care is needed. Complications may include arthralgia or arthritis, especially if occurring in young adults. The greatest danger is if a pregnant woman contacts the disease because of possible serious congenital anomalies, especially in the first trimester.

Mumps, also called parotitis, is a viral infection causing swelling of the salivary glands with painful swallowing. The patient complains of

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fever, headache, earache that worsens with chewing. Ice collar may help relieve discomfort. Orchitis as a complication is usually unilateral if disease occurs after puberty. The other complications associated with mumps are meningitis and encephalitis.

Poliomyelitis is a viral infection. 95% of infected patients have no symptoms. Virus multiplies in the gastrointestinal tract and enters the bloodstream to affect the central nervous system, resulting in the paralysis in less than 2% of the infected.

Chicken pox is the most communicable childhood disease, caused by varicella zoster virus. Rash starts on the trunk and spreads. The rash progresses from macules to vesicles, which then erupt and crust over. It is highly contagious from 2 days prior to rash to 6 days after rash erupts. The incubation period is 21 days. Once lesions have crusted, they are no longer contagious. Care is directed only at comfort measures.

Almost against all these diseases children receive vaccinations on schedule which can prevent them or, at least, decrease their severity.

1.What diseases are referred to childhood communicable diseases?

2.What are the main periods of communicable diseases?

3.Describe the incubation period of infectious diseases.

4.Describe the communicable period of infectious diseases.

5.What diseases are caused by bacteria?

6.What diseases are caused by viruses?

7.List the most common symptoms of infectious diseases.

8.What disease is dangerous for pregnant women and why?

Task 4. Are these statements true (T) or false (F)? If the statement is false, correct the statement.

1. Communicable diseases are spread from person to person.

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2.The incubation period is the period when the symptoms are

severe.

3.The child is contagious during the period of communicabity.

4.The recovery period is characterized by lack of any symptoms.

5.Vaccination is the only way of prevention of childhood infectious diseases.

GRAMMAR

Task 5. Match the colomns A, B and C to form the sentences.

 WORD-BUILDING

Task 6. Complete the table with suitable words.

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2.Measles

VOCABULARY and PRONUNCIATION

Task 1. Read out.

 READING and SPEAKING

Task 2. Warm-up discussion.

Have you heard anything about measles infection? Do you know anyone who caught measles in childhood?

Task 3. Read the text and answer the questions.

Measles, also known as rubeola, is a very contagious respiratory infection that causes cold symptoms, fever, and a characteristic rash. It is caused by the measles virus. The virus usually spreads from person to person through coughs and sneezes, and through contact with shared drinking glasses, dirty hands that touched a runny nose. Once the virus enters the body, the infection spreads throughout the respiratory tract to the skin and other body organs.

A person with measles is contagious (can infect others) from one to two days before any symptoms begin (or 3 to 5 days before the rash) to four days after the rash appears.

Measles symptoms begin about 8 to 12 days after exposure to a contagious person. The first symptoms include cough, runny and stuffy

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