Chioma Umeha
Some health experts have warned the public to
prevent themselves from viral infections attributed to the rainy season by
clearing the bushes around them and keeping their surroundings hygienic.
They also advised them to always discard pools of
water in their environments usually caused by downpour to prevent such from
breeding germs and bacteria.
They said that such unhygienic environments were
perfect breeding grounds for germs and bacteria that could cause infections on
human beings.
The experts said, “Prevention is the best strategy
for controlling these infections, especially in children.’’
They told the News Agency on Friday in Lagos that
prevention would stop the virus from breeding, spreading and causing severe
clinical manifestations among the public.
Dr Bamidele Iwalokun, a medical researcher at the
Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR),Yaba, Lagos, said: “The common
preventive measures against viral infections in children include good hygiene.
“This should be through personal hygiene, as well
as cleaning of personal, household and environmental areas.
“Vaccination, good nutrition, contact prevention
and vitamin A supplementation are also preventive measures against the spread
of infections in children, at all times.
“Parents and guardians should note that children
with febrile and other viral symptoms such as cough, rash, running nose and
nasal congestion should not go to school, but stay home until these symptoms
disappear.
“These measures will further minimise the spread
of the viruses they harbour,” he said.
Iwalokun also highlighted the symptoms of some of
these infections.
He said: “ They include fever, running nose, sore
throat, wheezing, mouth sore, rash of different kinds, cough, conjunctivitis,
headache, irritability, stiff neck, seizures and coma.
“The viruses responsible for these symptoms are
numerous and they include herpes simplex virus, coronavirus, enteroviruses,
enterovirus, polio virus, measles virus, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial
virus, adenovirus and influenza virus.
“They use multiple routes to spread; they can
spread through contaminated food and water, secretions, air droplets and
faecal-oral routes,’’ Iwalokun said.
Also, Dr Oluwatosin Olowojebutu, the Medical
Director, Liberty-Life Hospital, Ogudu in Lagos State, told the news agency
that most viral infections had no cure.
He advised the public to prevent contacting them.
He said that a good number of the infections in
children were highly contagious and they could spread easily in impoverished,
crowded households and communities.
“Most times, infections cause outbreaks and lead
to death.
“Some children are still alive but living with
disabilities such as polio, blindness, deaf and intellectual disabilities due
to infections that are not treated, poorly treated or defied treatment.
“Most symptoms of viral infections are
non-specific and are shared by bacteria infections; also, majority of the
viruses are poorly diagnosed and treated,’’ Olowojebutu said.
Olowojebutu advised parents, guardians and
pregnant women to always get necessary vaccines for their children to prevent
them from contacting viral infections.
