The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Each infectious disease has its own specific signs and symptoms. General signs and symptoms common to many infectious diseases include:

  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle aches

When to see a doctor
You should seek medical attention if you:

  • Have been bitten by an animal
  • Are having trouble breathing
  • Have been coughing for more than a week
  • Have severe headache with fever or seizures with fever
  • Experience a rash or swelling
  • Have unexplained fever
Causes Definition

  • See Also

    • Hand Scheduled
    Section Focus
  • Sepsis

    • Related Links
    Related Guides
    Children
    Parent
References
  1. Understanding microbes in sickness and in health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/microbes/documents/microbesbook.pdf. Accessed Oct. 8, 2012.
  2. Long SS, et al. Long: Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-2702-9..C2009-0-41480-6--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-2702-9&uniqId=372964036-9. Accessed Oct. 8, 2012.
  3. Facts about infectious diseases. Infectious Diseases Society of America. http://www.idsociety.org/Facts_About_ID/#. Accessed Oct. 8, 2012.
  4. Escherichia coli infections. World Health Organization. http://www.emro.who.int/health-topics/escherichia-coli-infections/. Accessed Oct. 10, 2012.
  5. De Martel C, et al. Global burden of cancers attributable to infections in 2008: A review and synthetic analysis. The Lancet Oncology. 2012;13:607.
  6. Personal prevention of MRSA skin infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/prevent/personal.html. Accessed Oct. 10, 2012.
  7. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/clinical.htm. Accessed Oct. 10, 2012.
DS01145 Jan. 23, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger