Question

A previously healthy 2 yr old boy is brought to the clinic with fever and mouth pain that began yesterday. He has consumed an adequate amount of fluids but refuses to eat due to the pain. The patient has no medical problems and takes no medications. P/E reveals swollen gums and vesicular, inflamed lesions on his hard palate and lips. He has enlarged and tender cervical lymph nodes. Pathogen?

Answer 1

The pathogen responsible for the symptoms in the 2-year-old boy is most likely the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), which causes herpetic gingivostomatitis. Symptoms include swollen gums, vesicular, inflamed lesions on the hard palate and lips, and enlarged and tender cervical lymph nodes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pathogen responsible for the symptoms in the 2-year-old boy is most likely the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). This virus commonly causes herpetic gingivostomatitis, which is characterized by swollen gums and vesicular, inflamed lesions on the hard palate and lips. The enlarged and tender cervical lymph nodes are also indicative of an infection caused by HSV-1.