CDC Global Disease Detectives: Clues and Answers
Insect Pests
All sorts of insects attack and prey upon human beings. Most common of those that attack the body directly are the lice and the itch mites. Less frequent are bedbugs and spiders. In the woods and in tropical areas chiggers and mosquitoes, ticks and the biting flies annoy mankind.
Chiggers
Chiggers are known scientifically as Trombicula irritans. They hook themselves on to the skin. The skin becomes irritated, and an intolerable itching begins. Red blotches appear, and blisters form. The chiggers do not burrow into the skin, but they inject a substance which dissolves and softens the tissue, and this causes the itching.
Infestation with chiggers can be prevented by putting flour of sulphur or sulphur powder into the stockings or underclothing when going into tall grass or weeds. Protection can be had by wearing leggings and by closing off the bottom of the trousers.
If you have been seriously bitten by chiggers, wash the skin thoroughly with soap and water and allow the lather to remain on the skin ten minutes before removing. Then any of the anti-itch preparations can be applied to keep the itching under control until healing has occurred.
Insect repellents such as DDT, freon with pyrethrum, and similar preparations can be used to remove chiggers from infested areas, as well as mosquitoes, moths, and other insects.
Lice
The louse is an annoying inhabitant on the human body. Head lice are such a frequent annoyance among children in schools that health departments usually give special instructions for their control. Several specialized mixtures have been developed for getting rid of head lice, body lice, and pubic lice.
To kill head lice, ordinary crude petroleum or kerosene mixed with sweet oil or olive oil, half and half, is rubbed well into the scalp. Then cover the hair with a piece of muslin for at least two hours or, better, overnight. Petroleum is poisonous and inflammable. Never let the hair get close to any open flame, such as a gas jet or a lighted match. When the muslin is removed wash the hair and scalp with soap and hot water and rinse well with clear water. Repeat this process as long as live vermin are found in the hair. Nits may be removed by wetting the hair thoroughly with hot vinegar, then combing with a fine-toothed comb. Dry the hair completely after such treatments before going out. For body lice, the body, all clothing, and all bedding may be thoroughly dusted with a suitable DDT powder.
Pubic lice are commonly called “crabs.” Specialized ointments including the old-fashioned “blue ointment” and “Gammexane” ointment, are used, rubbed thoroughly into the infested areas. If such lice get into the eyelashes, they should be picked off, with their nits, by a forceps. Itching from the bites of lice or other insects is controllable by ointments or lotions containing small amounts of phenol or menthol or camphor, such as 1 per cent phenol or menthol in calamine lotion or phenolated camphor in mineral oil.
Spider Bites
The only venomous spider in the Western Hemisphere is the black widow. When a person is bitten by a spider the first step is to stop the absorption of the poison into the circulation. The wound can be disinfected with tincture of iodine or any other good antiseptic. If any considerable amount of poison has been taken into the body, the area of the bite can be put under suction.
Following the bite of the black widow spider, one feels a sharp pain. Then comes swelling and redness at the bitten spot, and the whole body reacts with dizziness and weakness, tremor of the legs, and even abdominal cramps. Small children may have difficulty in breathing and even stupor or convulsions. A serum or antitoxin has been developed, but has to be secured in most cases from the health department or directly from the manufacturer.
Bedbugs And Fleas
A bedbug bite usually appears as a raised blister with a red spot in the center. It itches and sometimes has a burning sensation. Bedbugs do not live on the human body but they do infest beds, bedding, upholstered furniture, walls, woodwork, and draperies. They usually come out at night, drawn by the odor of the human body. When crushed, the bedbug gives off a foul odor.
Because the bedbug bite itches, the bitten area may be masked by the results of scratching and secondary infection. People who wear pajamas, if bitten, are usually affected in the areas around the ankles, the wrists, and the neck. The only treatment usually required for a bedbug bite is application of a lotion of calamine, with menthol or phenol or camphor to relieve the itching. Any of the lotions usually used for itching may be applied to flea bites.
Fleas that infest rodents can carry diseases such as plague. Fleas are found everywhere. They may pass to human beings from dogs, rats, or pigs. When human beings are bitten by fleas the source of infestation should be found and eliminated. Flea powders are easily available at any drug store.
Scabies
Scabies, also called seven-year itch, Cuban itch, prison itch, and similar names, is caused by the itch mite. It spreads amidst poverty, overcrowding, and uncleanliness. Usually scabies is transmitted by body contact.
The itch mite does not have the same habits as the body louse. The body louse lives in the clothing and feeds on the body, but the itch mite lives in the body under the skin. Any infestation of clothing or bedding by the itch mite is accidental. The itch mite tunnels under the skin. If the skin is cleaned and is free from crusting and secondary infection the little spots of invasion can be seen. The female mite burrows into the skin through the hair follicles and travels along a tunnel, which she creates. At the inner end of the tunnel she lays her eggs. After three to five days the eggs hatch, and the larvae burrow along new tunnels or come out of the old one.
Most common areas of infestation are between the fingers, on the backs of the hands, elbows, under the arms, in the groin, under the breasts, around the navel, sex organs, the shoulder blades, and the back.
After the body has been thoroughly scrubbed with hot water, the emulsion is applied with a brush or with an insecticide gun and the whole body is covered from the neck down. The emulsion is allowed to dry, and then after ten or fifteen minutes a second application is painted on. The patient then puts on his clothing and refrains from bathing for twenty-four hours. Then he is given another painting with the benzyl benzoate emulsion. After a second twenty-four-hour period he is instructed to bathe and put on all clean clothing. If these instructions are carried out carefully 95 per cent of patients are cured. The failures are given another course of treatment. The ointment called Gammexane, which is exachlorocyclohexane is also used effectively against scabies. The new treatments tend to replace the older use of sulphur ointment, pyrethrum ointment, and rotenone ointment.
Mosquito Bites
The mosquito is proof of Kipling’s famous statement that “the female of the species is more deadly than the male.” The male mosquito does not bite. The female mosquito is out for blood. The mosquito does not really bite, but saws through the skin.
Investigators have found that mosquitoes prefer to bite some people rather than others. They have found, moreover, that some people react severely to mosquito bites, whereas others do not react at all. The attractiveness of an individual for mosquitoes varies from time to time. Mosquitoes that bite prefer places with lots of people, rather than those with just a few people or places that are empty. Mosquitoes are more attracted by numerous or unwashed sleepers than by a few people who are sleeping and who are well washed. Thorough cleansing with soap and water decreases the attractiveness of any individual for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are attracted by warm objects, by lights at night and by dark objects during the day. Dark clothing is more attractive than light clothing for mosquitoes, and rough clothing is more attractive than smooth clothing. Mosquitoes prefer damp weather to dry weather, but in the cold seasons they prefer dry weather to damp weather. Mosquitoes prefer adults to children and men to women.
Mosquitoes carry malaria, yellow fever,West Nile virus and a number of other diseases. The mosquito can be eliminated by getting rid of pools of stagnant water in the surroundings, by spraying surfaces of water with oil, by the widespread use of DDT, and by other well-established health-engineering technics. The itching of the mosquito bite can be controlled by the use of one per cent menthol or phenol in calamine lotion or by the application of the ointments of antihistamines such as neohetramine, neoantergan, thephorin, pyrabenzarnine, benadryl, diatrin, and others.
About the Author
David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Natural Male Enhancement company known as Male Enhancement Group which is dedicated to researching and comparing male enhancement products in order to determine which male enhancement product is safer and more effective than other products on the market. Copyright 2009 David Crawford of http://www.maleenhancementgroup.com. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Magnitude and importance of vector-borne diseases in Europe
Pandora’s BOX OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
Department of Microbiology
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Centre
Trichur
Despite the success in control of many infectious diseases, a wide range of microbes still threatens the human health. Somehow Pandora box of infection is opened and continues to be a challenge. The unexpected emergence of Novel pathogens named as emerging and reemerging infectious diseases continue to strike any time, at any place. Before we learn about it, they disappear and make a dent on human health and social structure. Above all we live in an unpredictable nature – no rain, unwanted rain, and untimely cyclones – many attributed to global warming. Inspite of several scientific advances, we are controlled by nature. Recently we have experienced several communicable diseases like Chikungunya, Dengue, Leptospirosis, Hepatitis A and E. Chikungunya championed the list of microbes; produced fear, death, social unrest and political turbulence. Sudden emergence of epidemics exposed the facts that how vulnerable we are and how poorly we coordinate to overcome the problems. The world is rapidly changing, so are the microbes, as is the Chikungunya virus which originated in Africa, not a fatal disease to begin with a very few crippling complications. When the virus traveled to Kerala and other parts of India, became more vengeful, produced many cases of chronic morbidity and mortality. After 4 months of epidemic (October 2007) it subsided on its own. Today we do not know where it is hiding or when is the next date of reemergence.
In view of excessive urban migration narrow conditions of living initiates the epidemics. It is observed that we struggle to live and neglect the society. This remains the source of starting point. Epidemics frighten the society and infections attacking the young, old and pregnant women are a great concern to medical profession. In particular pregnant women have a changing physiology and immunity and are susceptible to or more prone to infectious diseases. The paradox of pregnancy may induce a state of increased susceptibility to certain virus, intracellular bacteria and parasites. One has to realize that any infection during pregnancy is a serious concern to preserve the health of mother and fetus and appropriate timely treatment must be provided. The ideal purpose of motherhood of giving love and wisdom has changed in the women infected with HIV/AIDS. And women transmit virus to their unborn babies. It is becoming the responsibility of the treating physician to screen the pregnant women for HIV antibodies to practice preventive and curative intervention to reduce perinatal HIV transmission.
To add to the existing epidemics, we have a serious challenge with Tuberculosis. At present several patients present with Tuberculosis in association with HIV/AIDS. Non compliance, irregular adherence to treatment regimen leads to multi drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR – TB) strains. We have several medical colleges, reputed medical institutions but we have no up to date facilities to deal and diagnose drug resistant tuberculosis. If we do not wake up and control the multidrug resistant strains, it will be much difficult to control X MDR tuberculosis strains (X MDR- resistant to even second line of antibiotics). The Pandora box of infection is narrow and deep. The question to control the infections remains with health education, hygiene, political will and committed physicians. There is an emerging need to establish referral diagnostic centers committed to research to identify and notify on events of infectious diseases. But it is certain there are no short cut solutions or magical ideas to control epidemics. Are we united to control the Epidemics? Who will close the Pandora’s box of infection?
The best solutions to control Epidemics are
1 Coordinated scientific approaches
2 Continuous monitoring of environment for prevalence of sub clinical infections
3 Referral Virology laboratories to overcome all diagnostic problems and precise diagnosis to clarify all controversies
4 Above all mass education on hygiene, simple social hand washing by all citizens.
5 A simple commonsense to protect the environment.
Email tvraodoctor2000@yahoo.co.in
About the Author
Dr.T.V.Rao MD works as a Professor In an Indian Medical College, Interested in public issues on Health and Disease. You can also visit my site at slideshare.com for interesting articles on Infectious diseases.
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with MonkeyPox Virus Hunter Anne Rimoin
What, exactly, are the “human rights” that the U.S. is denying illegal aliens?
They have unfettered access to free medical care, free education, welfare for their children, free representation in court when they commit crimes, every due-process protection during criminal prosecution that the Constitution guarantees citizens and legal immigrants, the shelter of labor laws, and the miracles of modern industrial society like clean water, the control of infectious diseases (including the ones that they bring with them), and plumbing. The only putative “right” that they lack—and that, of course, is the “human right” to which they and their ambassadors refer—is the right to legal status regardless of illegal entry.
Hmmmm … they’re still fighting for the right to vote … and the right to take over some of our states … the right NOT to learn English should they ever become citizens … all these rights we’re denying them … aren’t we horrible people? 
BYU FPM CDC Infectious Diseases
Is there a book of diseases like this?
im looking for a book that has information (such as symptoms, treatment, cause ect…) on as many diseases as possible including autoimmune, infectious, viral, parasitic infections and stuff like that. is there a book like that somewhere? if there is what is the name of it and where can i get it?
A helpful book I had when I was in university for my B.Sc. was “Control of Communicable Diseases Manual”. It’s really detailed and has tons of information.
Check out the topic on Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_of_Communicable_Diseases_Manual
And I found it on Amazon, although I find the price of $40 (CAD) for a new copy to be high. I paid $25. It does seem to include free shipping, however :
American site: http://www.amazon.com/Control-Communicable-Diseases-Manual-Heymann/dp/087553189X $34 USD
Canadian site: http://www.amazon.ca/Control-Communicable-Diseases-Manual-Heymann/dp/087553189X
(Part 6/12) – Review of Suzanne Somers Book
