Pneumonia and bronchial infections are likely to cause worry this season, experts predict.

These diseases that attack the lower respiratory tract mostly of children have already turned serious, apparently catching the health department napping.

In the last eleven months more than 1600 children, mostly less than ten years of age, have died from the airborne diseases.

The health directorate said that more than 4.19 lakh people, most of them children, were attacked by the diseases due to which the highest number died in Chittagong division during the period.

According to sources, the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) paediatric unit is facing difficulties in admitting all the patients reporting for admission while the Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH) at Matwail are also facing similar

problems accommodating child patients.

Many patients are being referred to other hospitals or private clinics for treatment, most of the doctors contacted said.

Meanwhile, many private hospitals and clinics are packed with patients with symptoms of pneumonia and bronchiolitis. "We are forced to turn away many children as we do not have sufficient beds," said an attending doctor of Central Hospital in the

city.

According to experts, the situation is likely to turn worse due to lack of awareness among the masses.

"Most patients report at the last stage of their infection. There is very little we can do to save them then," said a senior doctor of Dhaka Shishu Hospital yesterday.

Experts also said that the sudden change in weather is actually an ideal condition for the microorganisms to attack human lungs. Though adults have greater immunity than children they may also contract the infection.

Noted child specialist Prof M R Khan told The Daily Star, "The infection is mostly viral in nature and occurs mostly during prewinter and post-winter seasons. We are receiving about 10 children a day who are in acute stage of infection."

Prof Khan also predicts worse scenario if mothers are not well aware of the prevention side of the disease. He said that because the disease is spread through droplets from sneeze and cough it is advisable to cover nose and mouth every time someone sneezes or coughs. Beside, Prof Khan said that children must wear protective warm clothes to reduce chance of infection.

Dr Choudhury Md Haider, Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, said "Compared to previous years, the infection rate this year is higher. Most of my patients (children) have complaints of respiratory tract infection."

Dr Md Shahidullah, head of neonatal unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital, calls the trend of the respiratory tract infection of children very unusual. "This year I have noticed many a newborn showing symptoms of pneumonia which is very unusual. But bronchiolitis is also on the rise and exceeds all records."

According to experts during the infection the lungs' air sacs fill with pus, mucus, and other liquid and cannot function properly failing to replenish blood with oxygen. If there is insufficient oxygen in the

blood, body cells cannot function properly and may die.

Often pneumonia follows an infection of the nose and throat. When this happens, symptoms of pneumonia begin to appear two or three days after a cold or sore throat attack.

When pneumonia is caused by bacteria, an infected child usually becomes sick relatively quickly with high fever and unusual rapid breathing. When pneumonia is caused by viruses, symptoms tend to appear more gradually and are ofte

n less severe than in bacterial pneumonia. Wheezing may be more common with patients with viral pneumonia.