Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Conditions and Treatments:

Travel Visit
Before you and your family take a trip overseas please visit our clinic for a travel medicine appointment. Here we will provide you with country-specific information about potential illnesses and dangers and insure that you and your children have the appropriate immunizations and medications before leaving

Please schedule your visit for at least 4 weeks before your travel date to allow enough time for preparation and for immunizations to be effective.

Please bring with you:

1. A list of the destination/s you will be visiting
2. The dates of your travel
3. Immunization records for each family member

To help prepare for your appointment, visit the CDC Travelers' Health website.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
RSV is a virus that commonly causes bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) or pneumonia in infants. A medication called palivizumab (Synagis) is available for children at highest risk for severe RSV disease, such as those born premature, those with chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease or defective immune systems. This medication is given monthly, intramuscularly, in our clinic during the RSV season which usually runs from November to March. If you believe your child is at risk for severe RSV disease, ask their primary care provider if they meet the criteria for enrollment in our Synagis clinic. More information on these criteria is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/rsv/clinical/prophylaxis.html

Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by a tick bite. The most common symptom is a characteristic red, circular rash which is often associated with muscle and joint aches. Most cases of Lyme disease are treated successfully with 2-3 weeks of antibiotics. We endorse the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) statement on the treatment of Lyme disease and do not support the use of prolonged courses of antibiotics for "chronic Lyme disease." For more information on Lyme Disease, visit: http://www.idsociety.org/lyme/

All information contained within the Pediatric Infectious Diseases website is intended for educational purposes particularly for the parents and patients. Physicians and other health care professionals are encouraged to consult other sources and confirm the information contained within this site. Consumers should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something they may have read on this website.