WITH spring arriving, the weather is getting warmer, despite the intermittent cold spells and rain. However, spring is also a capricious season with temperature sometimes dropping as much as 20 degrees in a single day.

The city's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention warned on its website that these sudden changes in temperature can pose considerable risks to health, with respiratory diseases especially prevalent at this time of year.

Among diseases peaking this season, measles is a highly contagious viral infection. People usually become infected with measles by breathing in small droplets of moisture coughed out by infected people. Roughly one to two weeks after infection, patients can develop symptoms such as fever, a runny nose, sore throat, hacking cough and irritated eyes. Tiny white spots later appear inside the mouth and a rash develops. In more serious cases patients can develop lung infections and myocarditis.

Early spring is the peak season for measles, with children in kindergartens and schools especially at risk.

Although measles is one of the diseases routinely vaccinated against in childhood, it is still necessary to keep an eye on the disease since the city contains a large mobile population.

Small epidemics have struck a number of provinces, East China's Anhui Province among them, since the end of last year.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membrane that encloses the brain and spinal cord, caused by bacteria or virus.

A fever, headache, stiff neck, sore throat and vomiting, often following a respiratory illness, are the major symptoms of meningitis.

Spring and winter are the two seasons when people are most vulnerable to meningitis, with March and April being particularly dangerous.

Another relevant infectious disease is chickenpox.

Medical experts advise people to avoid crowded public places with poor ventilation. A healthy lifestyle and regular physical exercise will strengthen the immune system and help prevent such diseases.

In early spring, mosquitoes, flies and other disease-bearing creatures become active after the cold season. It is thus the best time of year for pest control. For those on outings, snakes are another hazard to be considered.

Last but not least, people with chronic diseases including ulcers and gallstones should be extra-cautious about relapses at this time of year. (Star News)