Related Experiment Videos

[Life threatening secondary bacterial infection of varicella skin lesions]

Elisabeth Resch1, Ulrike Ihm, Vera Haslinger

  • 1Abteilung für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde, Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Ost, Donauspital, Wien, Austria. elisabeth.resch@wienkav.at

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
|May 23, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Low varicella vaccination rates in Austria lead to frequent disease and hospitalizations, especially in young children. Implementing a childhood varicella vaccination program could prevent severe complications and deaths.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Low immunization coverage of varicella vaccination in Austria results in high disease incidence.
  • Varicella (chickenpox) affects children, with a hospitalization rate of approximately 6 per 100,000 children aged 0-15.

Observation:

  • Young children, particularly those under one year, are at the highest risk for severe varicella complications.
  • Common complications include secondary bacterial infections, neurological issues, and respiratory problems.

Findings:

  • Two cases highlight life-threatening complications: toxic shock syndrome from group A Streptococcus and a deep orbital abscess.
  • Both patients survived but required extensive plastic surgery due to severe sequelae.

Implications:

  • The US varicella vaccination program has nearly eliminated deaths from severe varicella complications.
  • Initiating a varicella vaccination program for children under two in Austria is recommended to prevent severe outcomes.

Related Concept Videos

Skin Diseases and Disorders01:23

Skin Diseases and Disorders

Skin is the first line of defense and encounters a variety of microbes. Some pathogenic strains are often the cause of a broad range of infections of the skin and other body systems. These conditions can affect people of all ages and may have different causes, including genetic factors, infections, autoimmune reactions, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices.
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...
Staphylococcal Skin Infections01:29

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis01:25

Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis

Endocarditis can present various clinical features depending on the causative organism and the patient's underlying health conditions. Initially, the clinical features of infective endocarditis develop gradually, presenting with nonspecific symptoms that can be easily mistaken for other illnesses.General SymptomsEarly symptoms of infective endocarditis are fever, chills, weakness, malaise, fatigue, and weight loss. These symptoms reflect the systemic nature of the infection and the body's...
Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction01:22

Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction

Bacterial meningitis is a severe, life-threatening inflammation of the meninges, particularly the pia mater and arachnoid mater, affecting the subarachnoid space, ventricles, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). If untreated, it can lead to significant neurological complications or death.Causative AgentsCommon pathogens vary with age and immune status. In adults, major organisms include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae. Streptococcus agalactiae (group B...
Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment01:30

Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment

Pneumonia poses the potential for numerous complications that warrant consideration. These complications include the following:
Diphtheria01:28

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an acute, toxin-mediated infectious disease that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a Gram-positive, pleomorphic rod that lacks spore-forming capability and exhibits a characteristic club-shaped morphology under microscopic examination. While C. diphtheriae can asymptomatically colonize mucosal surfaces, clinical disease manifests only when the bacterial strain is lysogenized by a specific β-corynephage. This phage...