Mebendazole Health Dictionary

A worldwide infection, particularly common in the tropics. It is caused by Trichuris trichiura, or whipworm, so-called because of its shape – the rear end being stout and the front end hair-like, resembling the lash of a whip. The male measures 5 cm and the female 4 cm in length. Infection results from eating vegetables, or drinking water, polluted with the ova (eggs). These hatch out in the large INTESTINE and the diagnosis is made by ?nding the eggs in the stools (FAECES). The worms seldom cause any trouble unless they are present in large numbers when, especially in malnourished children, they may cause bleeding from the bowels, ANAEMIA and PROLAPSE of the RECTUM. The most e?ective drug is MEBENDAZOLE.... trichuriasis

A parasitic infection caused by the nematodes Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, resulting in hookworm disease. These infections are exceedingly common in tropical and developing countries, millions of people being affected. Classically, A. duodenale occurred in the Far East, Mediterranean littoral, and Middle East, and N. americanus in tropical Africa, Central and South America, and the Far East; however, in recent years, geographical separation of the two human species is less distinct. In areas where standards of hygiene and sanitation are unsatisfactory, larvae (embryos) enter via intact skin, usually the feet. ‘Ground itch’ occasionally occurs as larvae enter the body. They then undergo a complex life-cycle, migrating through the lungs, trachea, and pharynx. Adult worms are 5–13 (mean 12) mm in length; their normal habitat is the small INTESTINE – especially the jejunum – where they adhere to the mucosa by hooks, thus causing seepage of blood into the lumen. A worm-pair produces large numbers of eggs, which are excreted in faeces; when deposited on moist soil they remain viable for many weeks or months. Clinical manifestations include microcytic hypochromic ANAEMIA, hypoalbuminaemia (low serum protein) and, in a severe case, OEDEMA. A chronic infection in childhood can give rise to physical, mental and sexual retardation. Treatment is with one of the benzimidazole compounds, usually mebendazole or albendazole; however, in developing countries, cheaper preparations are used, including tetrachloroethylene, bephenium hydroxynaphthoate, and pyrantel embonate. Anaemia usually responds to iron supplements; blood transfusion is rarely indicated.

Ancylostoma braziliensis A nematode infection of dogs, which in humans causes local disease (larva migrans) only, generally on the soles of the feet. It is usually acquired by walking on beaches contaminated with dog faeces in places such as the Caribbean.... ancylostomiasis

Ascariasis is the disease produced by infestation with the roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, also known as the maw-worm. Super?cially it resembles a large earthworm: the male measures about 17 cm (7 inches) and the female 23 cm (9 inches) in length. Ascariasis is a dirt disease, most prevalent where sanitation and cleanliness are lacking, particularly in the tropics and subtropics. Consumption of food contaminated by the ova (eggs), especially salad vegetables, is the commonest cause of infection. In children, infection is commonly acquired by crawling or playing on contaminated earth, and then sucking their ?ngers. After a complicated life-cycle in the body the adult worms end up in the intestines, whence they may be passed in the stools. A light infection may cause no symptoms. A heavy infection may lead to colic, or even obstruction of the gut. Occasionally a worm may wander into the stomach and be vomited up.

Treatment Mebendazole is the drug of choice in the UK, being given as a single dose. It should be combined with hygienic measures to break the cycle of autoinfection. All members of the family require treatment. Other ANTHELMINTICS include piperazine and pyrantel.... ascariasis

Drugs used to treat ASCARIASIS, a disease caused by an infestation with the parasitic worm Ascaris lumbricoides. LEVAMISOLE, MEBENDAZOLE and PIPERAZINE are all e?ective against this parasite.... ascaricides

Trichinosis, or trichiniasis, is a disease caused by eating meat infected with the parasitic nematode worm, Trichinella spiralis. Although it infects more than 100 animal species, this nematode usually infects humans via pig meat in which the immature spiralis is encysted. The full-grown female worm, which inhabits the intestine, is 3 mm in length, and the larvae, to whose movements the disease is due, are much smaller. The disease is acquired by eating raw or underdone pork from pigs that have been infected with the worm. When such a piece of meat is eaten, the embryos contained in it are set free and develop into full-grown trichinellae; from each pair of these, 1,000 or more new embryos may arise in a few weeks. These burrow through the walls of the gut, spread throughout the body and settle in voluntary muscle.

Prevention is based on thorough inspection of meat in slaughterhouses; even cooking, unless the meat is in slices, is not an e?cient protection. Pigs should not be fed on unboiled garbage. Rats may be a source of sporadic outbreaks, as infected rats have been found near piggeries. The disease is widely distributed throughout the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Arctic. Sporadic cases and epidemics occur and outbreaks also appear in Europe, although rarely in Britain.

Treatment Thiabendazole or mebendazole are usually e?ective, while STEROID treatment helps patients with systemic illness and muscle tenderness.... trichinosis

1. n. any drug or chemical agent used to destroy parasitic worms (helminths), e.g. tapeworms, roundworms, and flukes, and/or remove them from the body. Anthelmintics include *albendazole, *mebendazole, *niclosamide, and *praziquantel. 2. adj. having the power to destroy or eliminate helminths.... anthelmintic

n. one of a group of chemically related antifungal drugs that are also effective against a wide range of bacteria; some (e.g. *tiabendazole and *mebendazole) are also used as anthelmintics. The group includes *econazole, *clotrimazole, *ketoconazole, and *miconazole.... imidazole

A type of pancreatectomy in which the head of the pancreas and the loop of the duodenum are surgically removed.

whipworm infestation Small, cylindrical whip-like worms, 2.5–5 cm long, that live in the human large intestine. Infestation occurs worldwide but is most common in the tropics. Light infestation causes no symptoms; heavy infestation can cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and, sometimes, anaemia, since a small amount of the host’s blood is consumed every day.

Diagnosis is through the identification of whipworm eggs in the faeces. Treatment is with anthelmintic drugs, such as mebendazole. A heavy infestation may require more than 1 course of treatment. whitehead A very common type of skin blemish (see milia).... whipple’s operation

(oxyuriasis) n. a disease, common in children throughout the world, caused by the parasitic nematode Enterobius vermicularis (see threadworm) in the large intestine. The worms do not cause any serious lesions of the gut wall although, rarely, they may provoke appendicitis. The emergence of the female from the anus at night irritates and inflames the surrounding skin, causing the patient to scratch and thereby contaminate fingers and nails with infective eggs. The eggs may reinfect the same child or be spread to other children. Worms may occasionally enter the vulva and cause a discharge from the vagina. Enterobiasis responds well to treatment with *mebendazole.... enterobiasis

a condition resulting from an infestation of the small intestine by hookworms. Hookworm larvae live in the soil and infect humans by penetrating the skin. The worms travel to the lungs in the bloodstream and from there pass via the windpipe and gullet to the small intestine. Heavy hookworm infections may cause considerable damage to the wall of the intestine, leading to a serious loss of blood; this, in conjunction with malnutrition, can provoke severe anaemia. Symptoms include itching and rash at the site of infection, followed by abdominal pain, diarrhoea, debility, and mental inertia. More serious effects can include difficulty in breathing, heart enlargement, and irregular heartbeat. The disease occurs mostly in the tropics and subtropics; mebendazole is used in treatment.... hookworm disease

(visceral larva migrans) n. an infestation with the larvae of the dog and cat roundworms, Toxocara canis and T. cati. Humans, who are not the normal hosts, become infected on swallowing eggs of Toxocara present on hands or in food and drink contaminated with the faeces of infected domestic pets. The larvae, which migrate around the body, cause destruction of various tissues; the liver becomes enlarged and the lungs inflamed (see pneumonitis). Symptoms may include fever, joint and muscle pains, vomiting, an irritating rash, and convulsions. Larvae can also lodge in the retina of the eye where they cause inflammation and *granuloma. The disease, widely distributed throughout the world, primarily affects children. Treatment is with mebendazole.... toxocariasis