Respiratory infection

Acute respiratory infection features severe cataracts of the upper respiratory tract. They belong to the anthroponotic group featuring an airborne transmission mechanism. Besides, the disease often affects children. There can also be sporadic cases and epidemic outbreaks.

Etiological agents

The acute respiratory infection features can cause a significant number of (over 200) different etiological agents, such as

1. influenza viruses of different antigenic types and variants,
2. parainfluenza viruses – four kinds,
3. adenoviruses – thirty-two classes,
4. reoviruses – three varieties,
5. rhinoviruses – over one hundred types,
6. coronaviruses – four types,
7. the respiratory-syncytial virus,
8. enteroviruses – about seventy types,
9. the simple herpes virus,
10. mycoplasmas,
11. streptococci, staphylococci and other bacterial agents.

Сhanges

Moderately expressed symptoms of general intoxication, predominant affection of the respiratory tract’s upper departments, and benign progress exemplify those changes. Besides, the localisation of the most expressed changes in the respiratory tract depends on the patient’s kind of originator.

Symptoms of respiratory infection features

In the case of adenoviral diseases, nasopharyngitis prevails. Also, parainfluenza primarily affects the larynx, influenza – affects the tracheas and the respiratory-syncytial virus – affects the bronchial tubes. Besides affecting the respiratory tract, some etiological agents may also cause other symptoms.

Moreover, enteroviral diseases may reveal the symptoms of epidemic myalgia, herpangina and exanthema. If not complicated by pneumonia, the acute respiratory illness may last for a period varying from two to three to five to eight days. Moreover, pneumonia may delay recovery, taking three to four weeks to cope.