Dr. Amar Safdar, M.D.

Foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a childhood contagious illness, with an incubation period of three to six days. Easily spread from person-to-person. It is caused by an enterovirus, Coxsackievirus A type 16 (CVA16). Clinical presentation includes sore throat, nasal secretions, fever, feeling unwell painful, plus loss of appetite. Red, blisters on the tongue, mouth, and red rash that at times may form a blister involving the palms of hands, soles of feet and buttocks

Please find CDC update on Dengue in the US as follows:

Nearly all dengue cases reported in the 48 contiguous US states were in travelers infected elsewhere. The few infectious Dengue outbreaks occasionally occur in the continental United States. Dengue is common in the US territories of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. In the United States, local dengue outbreaks most recently occurred in Hawaii (2015), Florida (2013), and Texas (2013). Most outbreaks in the United States have been relatively small and limited to small areas. The types of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) spread dengue are common throughout many areas of the United States, local spread of dengue is therefore, possible.

Highly contagious infection, 90% of close contacts not immunized will develop the infections. The patient remains contagious 4 days before the rash starts and 4 days after the skin rash has resolved.

The fungal skin infections that are commonly called "ring worms" are contagious and can be acquired in the changing rooms, locker rooms, and so on. To prevent these from occurring, make sure not o share towels, bar of soap, swim trunks etc.

It could be an infection or allergies. I suggest you see a doctor if the cough has lasted for more than a week, as bronchitis is a concern.

Suggest you see your doctor and have a chest x-ray done.

It is of paramount importance to have children vaccinated against chicken pox as lack of immunization a) makes risk for community outbreaks a significant health issue for the well being of the community and b) individuals in whom vaccination is not given, the risk for potentially serious, life threatening complications significantly increases, if chicken pox is acquired as an adult.

It depends where the infection is, for example:
{} Pneumonia (lung infection) may have a positive blood culture also called bacteremia (isolation of bacteria from a blood sample) in some patients, although most with pneumonia will not have concurrent bacteremia.
{} Cellulitis and abscesses (skin infection) - most patients over 70 to 80% will not have bacteremia
{} UTI, especially bladder infections are not accompanied by bacteremia, albeit, kidney infection (pyelonephritis) it is not uncommon to have a positive blood culture.
{} Bacterial meningitis may also occur with isolation of the bacteria from the blood.
High white blood cell counts is often an indication if invasive infection, however, WBC may be elevated due to a host of reasons other than an infection.

Most superficial fungal infection that involve skin and mucus membranes do not cause fever, examples of these are ring worm, thrush, Candida vaginosis; whereas, patients with invasive fungal disease such as invasion into sinuses, lungs, bloodstream, and those with meningitis, peritonitis may exhibit a febrile response.

Most common viral pneumonia in children include the following:
{} Respiratory syncytial virus
{} influenza viruses
{} Parainfluenza virus
{} Adenovirus, and Cytomegalovirus pneumonia are not common, especially in children with good immune function

Ring worm is Tinea Corporis, a fungal infection that involves the superficial part of skin. It take a little long to treat, unlike a bacterial infection such as cellulitis, and if not treated adequately, it may come back. Plus, it is also important to assess risk factors as these infections tend to be contagious among household contacts or other close physical contact, such as contact sports, workout gyms, etc.

Amar Safdar, MD, FACP, FIDSA

CDC is actively engaged in surveillance of Zika virus recurrence during the upcoming spring and summer with rise in the vector (mosquitos)
Here is the information from CDC:
US States and DC: 5,676
US Territories: 37,190
*Source: ArboNET as of April 4, 2018

I think the virus remains a concern for now and have to see how this trend unfolds in 2018-2019

Drug resistance has rapidly emerged among bacterias like E. coli, although vast majority of these infections are curable and need appropriate diagnosis and antibiotic therapy.
There should also be evaluation for possible deep tissue infection/involvement, such decisions are often predicated upon the clinical presentation of infection.

Herpes simplex 1 & 2 are viruses that are highly contagious and common in the general population.
Once infected, individuals harbor these viruses for the life-time.
In patients with intact immune function, they may appear as painful shallow ulcers that resolve without treatment, during periods of stress.
Commonly recognized as "cold sores" or "fever blisters'