Mr. Joseph K. Koo M.D.

Mononucleosis, nicknamed 'the kissing disease' is an infectious disease spread through saliva and physical contact. Aside from kissing someone with the Epstein-Barr virus, it can be passed through sharing straws, toothbrushes, or eating food from the same plate as an infected person. It is the...

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...

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a serious secondary immunodeficiency disorder. AIDS is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There is progressive destruction of cell-mediated (T cell) immunity. Also, both conditions are characterized by subsequent effects on humoral immunity...

The normal body temperature of a human being is 37° C. However, it may change throughout the day due to several factors. When the body’s temperature is elevated, it is described as a fever. Unlike the standard body temperature, a fever is not a constant temperature. In some instances,...

What is toxoplasmosis?Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which is found in humans and some types of animals. Although this parasite can infect all warm-blooded animals, it tends to only reproduce in the gut of felids, such as domestic cats and...

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....