Dr. Charles Thomas Leach MD

IntroductionThe only way to prevent serious and life-threatening diseases such as meningitis is through vaccination. Meningitis can also be caused by viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. The infection usually affects the meninges or membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord. Although...

What is mumps?Mumps is a highly contagious viral infection. The virus invades the parotid glands of the individual causing pain and inflammation of these glands. It is characterized by a “hamster-like” swelling of the patient’s face. The initial symptoms may take up to two weeks to manifest....

Lyme disease can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. However, those who spend a lot of time outdoors are at a higher risk for Lyme disease because they are exposed to ticks more than others. According to research, children are more commonly affected by Lyme disease because they spend more...

What is encephalitis?Encephalitis means inflammation of the brain. Fever, headache, and joint pain are often experienced in the early stages of encephalitis. Other severe symptoms may develop over some days or hours. They include personality changes, seizures, disorientation, confusion, or...

In the early 19th to the 20th century, parents would have been surprised to know that future generations would be free from childhood diseases. Diphtheria was then one of the most common diseases that took the lives of thousands of children, while polio left thousands of children crippled. Measles...

How Can My Baby Catch Mumps?The causing agent of mumps is the virus of mumps (paramyxovirus). Mumps is a disease which falls under the so-called group of childrens' disease. However, adults can also contract mumps. The difference between this disease in kids and grown-ups is the severity of the...