Schistosomiasis: From 4 Different Sources
A parasitic tropical disease, caused by any of 3 species of flukes called schistosomes, and acquired from bathing in infested water. The larval form penetrates the bather’s skin and develops in the body into adult flukes, which settle in the veins of the bladder and intestines. Eggs laid by adults provoke inflammatory reactions; there may be bleeding and ulceration in the bladder and intestinal walls, and the liver may also be affected. The first symptom is usually tingling and an itchy rash where the flukes have penetrated the skin. An influenza-like illness may develop weeks later, when the adults produce eggs. Subsequent symptoms include blood in the urine or faeces, abdominal or lower back pain, and enlargement of the liver or spleen. Complications of long-term infestation include liver cirrhosis, bladder tumours, and kidney failure. Treatment is with the drug praziquantel.
A disease caused by parasites o f the genus Schistosoma , also known as bilharzia, which has an aquatic snail intermediate host.
Also known as BILHARZIASIS. This infection results from one of the human Schistosoma species. It is common in Africa, South America, the Far East, Middle East, and, to a limited extent, the Caribbean. The life-cycle is dependent on fresh-water snails which act as the intermediate host for the ?uke; the cercarial stage of the ?uke enters via intact human skin and matures in the portal circulation. Clinically, ‘swimmers’ itch’ may occur at the site of cercarial skin penetration. Acute schistosomiasis (Katayama fever) can result in fever, an urticarial rash (see URTICARIA), and enlargement of LIVER and SPLEEN. The adult male is about 12 mm and the female 24 mm in length.
S. haematobium causes CYSTITIS and haematuria – passage of blood in the urine; bladder cancer and ureteric obstruction, giving rise to hydronephrosis and kidney failure, are long-term sequelae in a severe case. S. mansoni can cause colonic symptoms and in a severe case, POLYPOSIS of the COLON; diarrhoea, which may be bloody, can be a presenting feature. In a heavy infection, eggs surrounded by granulomas are deposited in the liver, giving rise to extensive damage (pipe-stem ?brosis) associated with PORTAL HYPERTENSION, oesophageal varices, etc. However, unlike in CIRRHOSIS, hepatocellular function is preserved until late in the disease. S. japonicum (which is con?ned to the Far East, especially Indonesia) behaves similarly to S. mansoni infection; liver involvement is often more severe.
Diagnosis can be made by microscopic examination of URINE or FAECES. The characteristic eggs are usually detectable. Alternatively, rectal or liver BIOPSY are of value. Serological tests, including an ELISA (see ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA)), have now largely replaced invasive procedures used in making a parasitological diagnosis.
Treatment CHEMOTHERAPY has been revolutionised by the introduction of praziquantel (administered orally); this compound has no serious side-effects, although its cost may limit its use in developing countries. Oxamniquine is cheaper and e?ective in S. mansoni infection, although evidence of resistance has been recorded in several countries. Metriphonate is also relatively cheap and is of value in S. haematobium infection. Prevention is by complete avoidance of exposure to contaminated water; all travellers to infected areas should know about this disease. It is increasing in frequency as new expanses of fresh water appear as a result of irrigation schemes and dam projects. Molluscicides can be employed for snail-control.
(bilharziasis) n. a tropical disease caused by blood flukes of the genus *Schistosoma. Eggs present in the stools or urine of infected people undergo part of their larval development within freshwater snails living in water contaminated with human sewage. The disease is contracted when *cercaria larvae, released from the snails, penetrate the skin of anyone bathing in infected water. Adult flukes eventually settle in the blood vessels of the intestine (S. mansoni and S. japonicum) or the bladder (S. haematobium); the release of their spiked eggs causes anaemia, inflammation, and the formation of scar tissue. Additional intestinal symptoms are diarrhoea, dysentery, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and cirrhosis of the liver. If the bladder is affected, blood is passed in the urine and cystitis and cancer of the bladder may develop. The disease is treated with praziquantel.
Schistosomiasis; a diseases caused by a parasitic trematode and acquired by contact with water infected with cercariae shed by the snail intermediate host.... bilharzia
Bilharziasis is another name for SCHISTOSOMIASIS.... bilharziasis
A broad spectrum anthelmintic very effective against many human trematodiases (including all forms of schistosomiasis) and some cestode infections (e.g. hymenolepiasis; cysticercosis).... praziquantel
The diagnosis and treatment of diseases that occur most commonly in tropical zones of the world. Examples are LEPROSY, MALARIA, SCHISTOSOMIASIS and TRYPANOSOMIASIS. With the great increase in international travel in the past 30 or so years, TROPICAL DISEASES are appearing more often in temperate climates. Global warming may also be enlarging the areas in which tropical disorders naturally occur.... tropical medicine
An accumulation of a serous effusion in the abdominal cavity seen in a number of conditions such as cirrhosis and schistosomiasis.... ascites
Bather’s itch, also called schistosome DERMATITIS, is the term given to a blotchy rash on the skin occurring in those bathing in water which is infested with the larvae of certain trematode worms known as schistosomes (see SCHISTOSOMIASIS). The worm is parasitic in snails. The skin rash is caused by penetration of the skin by the free-swimming larval cercaria. Bather’s itch is common in many parts of the world.... bather’s itch
Get a taste of South America by drinking pau d’arco tea. It has a pleasant, earthy taste, astringent and just a bit bitter. Find out more about its health benefits and side effects!
About Pau D’Arco Tea
Pau D’Arco tea uses the inner bark of the Pink Ipê tree, also known as Pink Lapacho. The tree can be found in many South American countries.
The Pink Lapacho is a large tree which can grow up to 30m tall. Usually, the trunk represents a third of that height, while the rest is used by the tree’s branches. The bark is dark brown, tough and hard to peel, and its branches spring up with opposite and petiolate leaves, and large, tubular-shaped pink flowers which bloom between July and September.
How to make Pau D’Arco Tea
To enjoy some pau d’arco tea, add 3 tablespoons to a pot containing 1 liter of water and bring it to boiling point. Once it reaches boiling point, lower the heat to medium-low and leave it like this for about 20 minutes. Once that’s done, strain the tea and pour it into cups.
Pau d’arco tea can be served both hot and cold. If you want to, you can sweeten it with honey, stevia or fruit juice.
Pau D’Arco Tea Benefits
The inner bark of the Pink Lapacho tea has important active constituents, such as lapachol, lapachone and isolapachone, as well as various flavonoids and tannins. They are transferred to the pau d’arco tea; this way, the beverage helps us stay healthy.
Pau d’arco tea plays an important role in the help against cancer. Cancer patients who have consumed this tea have shown progress, from alleviation of chemotherapy symptoms to complete remission of the cancerous tumors. Pau d’arco tea is also useful in the treatment of other diseases, such as diabetes, fibromyalgia, and lupus.
Drinking pau d’arco tea can help if you’ve got a cold or the flu. It is also useful as a remedy for smoker’s cough, and acts as an expectorant, stimulating coughing in order to get rid of mucus.
It was also discovered that pau d’arco tea increases the production of red blood cells. Although researches are still being made in this area, it is recommended in the treatment for leukemia, anemia and other blood disorders.
Pau d’arco tea is also useful in fighting fungi. It is used to treat yeast infection and candida, due to its antifungal nature. It can help in the treatment for stomach ulcers, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and dysentery. It also protects you against tropical diseases (malaria, schistosomiasis).
Pau D’Arco Tea Side Effects
Pau d’arco tea may act like a blood thinner. Don’t drink this tea at least two weeks before a surgery, otherwise it might increase the risk of bleeding both during and after the surgery, and can decrease the blood clotting speed. You also shouldn’t drink pau d’arco tea if you’ve got a bleeding disorder (hemophilia) or if you’re taking anticoagulants.
If you’re taking any medication, talk to your doctor first before drinking pau d’arco tea. It may interfere with various medications, for example aspirin, enoxaparin, warfarin, and dalteparin.
It is also recommended that you not drink pau d’arco tea if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. During pregnancy, it can lead to child defects or even death of the baby. It can also affect the baby during breastfeeding.
Be careful with the amount of pau d’arco tea you drink a day. The maximum amount of tea you can drink a day is 1 liter. If you drink more, it might lead to nausea, vomiting or bleeding (in which case you should consult a doctor). Other symptoms include headaches, dizziness and diarrhea.
Pau d’arco tea has lots of important health benefits, but it also has a few side effects which you should remember. If you make sure it’s safe to drink this tea, you can enjoy it with no worries!... drink pau d’arco tea from south america
A syndrome characterised by allergic symptoms and involving the respiratory tract (i.e. fever, cough, rash and marked eosinophilia) sometimes seen in patients who have had exposure to a large number of schistosome cercariae, especially Schistosoma japonicum, sometimes S. mansoni, rarely S. haematobium. Sydrome occurs during the invasive stage of schistosomiasis from the time of cercarial penetration of the skin to the time of early egg laying in the veins.... katayama syndrome
A drug used to treat SCHISTOSOMIASIS. Praziquantel is the drug of choice, with a combination of e?ectiveness, broad-activity spectrum and few side-effects.... schistomicide
A clinical state arising from invasive colo-rectal disease; it is accompanied by abdominal colic, diarrhoea, and passage of blood/mucus in the stool. Although the two major forms are caused by Shigella spp. (bacillary dysentery) and Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery), other organisms including entero-haemorrhagic Escherichia coli (serotypes 0157:H7 and 026:H11) and Campylobacter spp. are also relevant. Other causes of dysentery include Balantidium coli and that caused by schistosomiasis (bilharzia) – Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum infection.
Shigellosis This form is usually caused by Shigella dysenteriae-1 (Shiga’s bacillus), Shigella ?exneri, Shigella boydii, and Shigella sonnei; the latter is the most benign and occurs in temperate climates also. It is transmitted by food and water contamination, by direct contact, and by ?ies; the organisms thrive in the presence of overcrowding and insanitary conditions. The incubation is between one and seven days, and the severity of the illness depends on the strain responsible. Duration of illness varies from a few days to two weeks and can be particularly severe in young, old, and malnourished individuals. Complications include perforation and haemorrhage from the colo-rectum, the haemolytic uraemic syndrome (which includes renal failure), and REITER’S SYNDROME. Diagnosis is dependent on demonstration of Shigella in (a) faecal sample(s) – before or usually after culture.
If dehydration is present, this should be treated accordingly, usually with an oral rehydration technique. Shigella is eradicated by antibiotics such as trimethoprimsulphamethoxazole, trimethoprim, ampicillin, and amoxycillin. Recently, a widespread resistance to many antibiotics has developed, especially in Asia and southern America, where the agent of choice is now a quinolone compound, for example, cipro?oxacin; nalidixic acid is also e?ective. Prevention depends on improved hygiene and sanitation, careful protection of food from ?ies, ?y destruction, and garbage disposal. A Shigella carrier must not be allowed to handle food.
Entamoeba histolytica infection Most cases occur in the tropics and subtropics. Dysentery may be accompanied by weight loss, anaemia, and occasionally DYSPNOEA. E. histolytica contaminates food (e.g. uncooked vegetables) or drinking water. After ingestion of the cyst-stage, and following the action of digestive enzymes, the motile trophozoite emerges in the colon causing local invasive disease (amoebic colitis). On entering the portal system, these organisms may gain access to the liver, causing invasive hepatic disease (amoebic liver ‘abscess’). Other sites of ‘abscess’ formation include the lungs (usually right) and brain. In the colo-rectum an amoeboma may be di?cult to di?erentiate from a carcinoma. Clinical symptoms usually occur within a week, but can be delayed for months, or even years; onset may be acute – as for Shigella spp. infection. Perforation, colo-rectal haemorrhage, and appendicitis are unusual complications. Diagnosis is by demonstration of E. histolytica trophozoites in a fresh faecal sample; other amoebae affecting humans do not invade tissues. Research techniques can be used to di?erentiate between pathogenic (E. dysenteriae) and non-pathogenic strains (E. dispar). Alternatively, several serological tests are of value in diagnosis, but only in the presence of invasive disease.
Treatment consists of one of the 5nitroimidazole compounds – metronidazole, tinidazole, and ornidazole; alcohol avoidance is important during their administration. A ?ve- to ten-day course should be followed by diloxanide furoate for ten days. Other compounds – emetine, chloroquine, iodoquinol, and paromomycin – are now rarely used. Invasive disease involving the liver or other organ(s) usually responds favourably to a similar regimen; aspiration of a liver ‘abscess’ is now rarely indicated, as controlled trials have indicated a similar resolution rate whether this technique is used or not, provided a 5-nitroimidazole compound is administered.... dysentery
Soursop (Annona muricata).Plant Part Used: Leaf, fruit.Dominican Medicinal Uses: Leaf: tea, orally, for common cold, flu, musculoskeletal injury, menopausal symptoms, nervousness/anxiety; externally as a bath for fever in children. Fruit: eaten, diuretic and fever-reducing.Safety: Fruits are commonly consumed; reports of toxicity from ingestion of leaves in humans; contradictory results from animal toxicity studies; possibly implicated in atypical parkinsonism in the Caribbean.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In vivo: antioxidant (stem bark alcohol extract).In vitro: human serotonin receptor binding activity, antiviral (HSV-1), cytotoxic in cancer cells, molluscicidal in schistosomiasis vector (plant extracts and constituents).* See entry for Guanábana in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.... guanábana
A flat or ribbon-shaped parasitic worm. (See liver fluke, schistosomiasis, tapeworm)... platyhelminth
(Bilharzia) n. a genus of blood *flukes, three species of which are important parasites of humans causing one of the most serious of tropical diseases (see schistosomiasis). S. japonicum is common in the Far East; S. mansoni is widespread in Africa, the West Indies, and South and Central America; and S. haematobium occurs in Africa and the Middle East.... schistosoma
n. enlargement of the spleen. It most commonly occurs in *malaria, *schistosomiasis, and other disorders caused by parasites; in infections; in blood disorders, including some forms of anaemia and lack of platelets (*thrombocytopenia); in *leukaemia; and in *Hodgkin’s disease. See also hypersplenism.... splenomegaly
The liver is a common site of disease. The most significant liver conditions include alcohol-related disorders (see liver disease, alcoholic), hepatitis, and liver cancer. Disorders can also result from infection. Certain viruses cause hepatitis (see hepatitis, viral). Bacteria may spread up the biliary system to the liver, causing cholangitis or liver abscess. Parasitic diseases affecting the liver include schistosomiasis, liver fluke, and hydatid disease. Certain metabolic disorders, such as haemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease, may involve the liver. Other types of liver disorder include Budd–Chiari syndrome, in which the veins draining the liver become blocked. Occasionally, defects of liver structure are present at birth. Such defects principally affect the bile ducts; one example is biliary atresia, in which the bile ducts are absent. Because the liver breaks down drugs and toxins, damage to liver cells can also be caused through overdose or drug allergy. (See also jaundice; liver failure; portal hypertension.)... liver, disorders of
Health Encyclopedia