Biography
Biography: Dr. Floreta Korumi
Abstract
Infections caused by viruses are universal during childhood and adolescence. Clinicians will regularly care for children and adolescents who present with infections caused by a wide number of viral pathogens. Each viral infectious disease has its own specific clinical presentation depending on the causative virus; however, the clinical picture may change depending on the patient's sociodemographic characteristics and immunocompetence status. In some cases, children can contract the infection from the mother during pregnancy (rubella virus, parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus,) or can be infected during the delivery procedure, and in most cases children are affected by common seasonal respiratory viruses during childhood (influenza virus, rhinovirus). Infection of the new born with a virus produces a variety of clinical presentations, ranging from absence of symptoms to infection before (congenital), during (natal), or after birth (postnatal). Because of the affinity of viruses for rapidly growing cells, new-born infection results in multiple outcomes that are determined by the specific virus and the gestational age at the onset of infection. Congenital viral infections may result in miscarriage or stillbirth, congenital defects of various organ systems, clinical infection, or asymptomatic infection. Natal and postnatal infections can result in asymptomatic infection or clinical infection. Outcomes of clinical infection can vary from recovery to persistent infection with or without sequelae to death.
Due to extended immunization several viral diseases of previous century have been eliminated or eradicated and do not pose a risk to children any more. Despite that effort nowadays it is important to increase the coverage of vaccine-preventable diseases to avoid outbreaks of any of these diseases that unfortunately were notified and continue to be notified from several countries in different continents. Re-emergence of several viral agents can be prevented by strengthening national immunization programs. Also, development of antiviral medications is of great contribution to a successful treatment despite the fact that only symptomatic treatment is needed for most of viral infection in children. Usually illnesses are self-limited and children are fully recovered.