The Chisinau Emergency Service is reporting an alarming rise in the rate of enteroviral diseases, especially in children, as in the last two weeks 4 to 8 children are daily diagnosed with viral meningitis, Info-Prim Neo reports. Dr. Eufalia Negreata says that enteroviral infections are represented by a large variety of intestinal viruses which endure up to 4 months in natural water sources and wells and up to two 2 weeks on foods and shared surfaces. The common symptoms of the enteroviral infection-induced diseases are fever or low bodily temperature, severe headache, stiffness of the occipital muscles and neck, nausea, vomiting, inflammation of both the small and large intestine, nasal discharges. The severest complication of the enteroviral infections is the meningitis. The viral meningitis usually occurs during the summer and early autumn, often caused by viruses that infect the gastrointestinal tract and then spread to other areas of the body, especially the nervous system. Sometimes it starts like a common cold, or is preceded by ear and sinus infections, or develops suddenly and very violently, says Dr. Negreata. Given that meningitis is very hard to detect for its similarity in symptoms with other diseases, doctors insist that every patient, especially children, must be admitted to hospital if there is a suspicion of meningitis. Owing to the rise in the incidence of meningitis and also due to this cautiousness, a new ward for looking after such patients has been recently opened at Toma Ciorba Hospital. Meningitis is a serious inflammation of the covering of the brain and the spinal cord. The most frequent long-term effects of meningitis include deafness and blindness, which may be caused by the compression of specific nerves and brain areas responsible for the senses of hearing and sight. Some patients develop permanent seizure disorders, requiring life-long treatment with anti-seizure medications.