Introduction
Not many people in the United States have come in contact with a disease called Leishmaniasis; however, in southern Europe and the tropics of the world this disease is a force to be reckoned with. Leishmania spp., also known more commonly as cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis, is a bacterium causing a parasitic disease either on the surface of the skin or within the body in internal organs. An experiment was conducted to see if leishmaniasis should be included in the CDC clinical category C for the definition of AIDS.
Background
Leishmania spp. belongs to the archaebacteria and eubacteria kingdom. It is a bacterium causing a parasitic disease found in the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe and rarely ever found in the United States (Parasites - Leishmaniasis). It is prokaryotic and unicellular. Its energy source comes from synthesizing and consuming its own energy from sunlight, inorganic and organic compounds, and also autotrophs and heterotrophs. It is asexual and can use binary fission for reproduction. Since it is a parasite it attacks other organisms as well as using a chemical defense. The bacteria can live and survive in harsh environments with or without any oxygen. There is a cell wall present. Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with Leishmania parasites, which are spread by the bite of infected sand flies (Parasites - Leishmaniasis). The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis. Cutaneous causes skin sores whereas visceral affects several internal organs, including the spleen, liver, and bone marrow (Parasites - Leishmaniasis). Cutaneous can sometimes be a silent infection, without any symptoms or signs. People who develop clinical evide...
... middle of paper ...
...ate stages of the HIV virus, as proven by the case study and the results figure. Visceral leishmaniasis in the HIV-infected population should be included in the CDC clinical category C for the definition of AIDS.
Works Cited
Parasites - Leishmaniasis. (2013, January 10). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 3, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/leishmaniasis/
Pasquau, F., Ena, J., Sanchez, R., Cuadrado, J., & Amador, C. (2005). Leishmaniasis as an opportunistic infection in HIV-infected patients: determinants of relapse and mortality in a collaborative study of 228 episodes in a Mediterreanean region. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 24(6), 411-418. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/biologicalsciences/docview/849110844/E9FD10EC88D74913PQ/4?accountid=13965
the definition of parasite, is something that hurts. for ever. this parasite, was a landmine. I had good medical attention. But once i returned home, I finally left. I wanted to leave. there were rockets, raining down in every place i looked. those rockets stole my family. we couldn't stay. so we fled. the last time i had a true education, was when i entered high school. between 2nd grade and 9th the education i had in my birth place, that wasn't any kind of education. i wanted more. and there was nothing there for me to want
Syphilis, the third most common sexually transmitted disease, affects 12 million new people each year and is the leading cause of stillbirths and deaths among newborns in many developing countries. 3 The causative agent of venereal syphilis is Treponema pallidum, under the Family Spirochaetaceae of the Order Spirochaetales. It is a spirochete, a helical to sinusoidal bacterium ranging from 5 to 15 microns in length. 2 T. pallidum multiplies by binary transverse fission and enter the body through mucous membranes (squamous or columnar epithelium cells) or minor breaks or abrasions in the skin. From there, it migrates to every corner of the body through the blood and lymphatic circulatory system, infecting virtually every bodily organ, including the nervous system. Infections can even reach the womb, infecting the newborn known as congenital syphilis .4
This parasite is spread through the bite of sandflies. There are three different types of infections and they each show varying degrees of severity. The cutaneous form produces mild skin ulcers, mucocutaneous produces ulcers in the mouth and nose, and the visceral form of the disease starts with skin ulcers and then fever, low red blood cell count, and an enlarged spleen and liver. The parasite is detected by a microscope and visceral can also be found by doing blood tests. 12 million people are in infected in 98 different countries and 2 million new cases are found every year. The disease also kills around 20 to 50 thousand people a year.
In Eric’s case this parasite was affecting his nervous system, if the parasite is near the brain it causes eosinophilic meningitis, which is what happened to him. When this occurs, the body produces basophils which are white blood cells and the body freaks out. Leads to inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. This causes huge amount of pain. Severe meningitis can be fatal or cause permanent damage. In Eric’s case he got lucky to be able to survive since he had waited a while before going to the hospital.
Parasites in the human grow and multiply in the liver before moving to the red blood cells
In North Dakota and various other surrounding states have a very harsh climate compared to other places. Because of this, multicellular parasitic disease is an uncommon occurrence. Physicians in North Dakota and surrounding areas rarely if ever see and treat patients with parasitic diseases; however, it can happen and it is important to be informed about such diseases in order to better treat and inform patients. I myself was not informed about several parasites that can live in the area and would like to pass the knowledge onto my peers as well. The parasites I will focus on are Diphyllobothrium Latum and Fasciola Hepatica. In order to have a better understanding of the pathology of the two parasites, the following topics will need to be reviewed
Unfortunately, numbers of infected person multiply rapidly all over the world. According to William C. Cockerham (1998) reported in his book that the United Nation estimated, up to 40 million people, may be infected with AIDS by the year 2000. In Hong Kong, referred to fig.1.1-1.7, the situation is similar, the report of infected cases increase continuously.
Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as Elephantiasis, is a tropical disease which causes major damage to the lymphatic system. The lymph system in the human body maintains the balance of fluids as well as battles infections. This disease is caused by a type of parasite called nematodes (roundworms), which are microscopic worms which slither their way inside the affected people’s bodies and harbor there. It usually is transmitted during childhood, but the major physical issues only arise once that child reaches his adult years. From person to person, lymphatic filariasis is spread by mosquitos. However, for one to actually have lymphatic filariasis, they would have to be bitten over
Whereas other invade organs including blood, liver, lungs, subcutaneous tissue, and brain many of these organisms live only in the intestinal tract of a parasitized host. These parasites are also called large microscopic organisms. Loiasis is an infection caused by a parasitic worm known as Loa Loa (CDC 2015). This parasite is known as the African eye worm by most people (CDC 2015). Since the presence of people with Loa Loa infection has limited programs to control or eliminate lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) and onchocerciasis (river blindness) whether a person has Loa Loa infection has been more important in Africa. In Central and West Africa 29 million people are more at risk of getting Loiasis in these areas (CDC 2015). Using the epidemiological triangle as follows
one in which the host animal can live for a long enough time for the parasite to
Some of these are things like roundworms and pinworms. There have also been multiple different studies where a tapeworm was placed under a microscope to help understand their life cycles and bodies better. These studies have helped to find cures for the infections and to identify other parasite infections. Overall the main cause of this disease is having ingested the eggs of the parasite. This is the most well known cause for this disease. These parasites have been around for years now and occur in both humans and animals so they have a very clear idea of the symptoms from years of treatment and studying of the parasite, and it is now a common disease that is dealt with
In United States, the HIV epidemic reached its peak in the 1980s when the number of infected reached 130,000 people per year. Infected women ...
Soil-transmitted helminthes, also known as intestinal worm infections. It is one of the most common parasite infections in the world. These infections are most prevalent in tropical and sub tropical regions of the developed world where adequate water and sanitations are lacking. Recent estimate suggesting that A. lumbricoids infects 1,221 million people, T.trichuira 795 million, and hookworms 740 million (Desilva et., 2003). Chronic and intense soil transmitted helminthes can contribute to malnutrition and iron-deficiency anemia and also can adversely affect physical and mental growth in childhood (Drake et al.,2000.,Stephenson et al.,2000., Hotez et al.,2004).
Ascaris lumbricoides is an infectious and parasite that contaminates a quarter of the world's populace. Ascariasis is a type roundworm that exists in a human body. It has also been mentioned to frequently name as the massive, intestinal roundworm. Ascariasis is really the largest intestinal roundworm found in human body. Ascariasis takes place in the countryside areas of the southeastern United States even though it’s uncommon the U.S. This infectious parasite decreased melodramatically after the introduction of up-to-date sanitation and waste treatment in the early 1900s. It is also projected that the Ascariasis in the United States is roughly 2 percent, but it may be as high as 30 percent among children between one and five years of age, predominantly in the countryside areas. Ascariasis transpires among humans from widespread areas. The size of an ascariasis varies in different sizes. For one the female worms are prominent than the males and can measure 40 cm in length and 6 mm in diameter. There colors are white or pink and are elongated at both ends of the body. An adult worm ...
In 1981, a new fatal, infectious disease was diagnosed--AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome). It began in major cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. People, mostly homosexual men and intravenous drug users, were dying from very rare lung infections or from a cancer known as Kaposi’s sarcoma. They have not seen people getting these diseases in numerous years. Soon, it also affected hemophiliacs, blood recipients, prostitutes and their customers, and babies born from AIDS-infected women. AIDS was soon recognized as a worldwide health emergency, and as a fatal disease with no known cure, that quickly became an epidemic. When high-profile victims began to contract the virus, such as basketball star Magic Johnson, the feeling spread quickly that anyone, not just particular groups of people, could be at risk. AIDS impairs the human body’s immune system and leaves the victim susceptible to various infections. With new research, scientists think that the disease was first contracted through a certain type of green monkey in Africa, then somehow mutated into a virus that a human could get. AIDS is a complicated illness that may involve several phases. It is caused by a virus that can be passed from person to person. This virus is called HIV, or Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. In order for HIV to become full-blown AIDS, your T-cell count (number of a special type of white-blood cells that fight off diseases) has to drop below 200, or you have to get one of the symptoms of an AIDS-induced infection.