Parasitic Diseases List

Key facts Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. About half of the world's population is now at risk of dengue with an estimated 100–400 million infections occurring each year. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. While many dengue infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, the virus can occasionally cause more severe cases, and even death. Prevention and control of dengue depend on vector control. There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue, and early detection and access to proper medical care greatly lower fatality rates of severe dengue. Overview Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Most people who get dengue will not have symptoms. But for those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and ras...

Naval Medical Leader and Professional Development Command (NMLPDC) has maintained a virtual MTM course due to its popularity and increase in access to critical education for military medical providers, while also re-establishing the in-person course and field missions during 2022. In August 2023 and for the first time in three years, graduates of both the virtual and in-person MTM courses were able to execute field mission practicums. MTM re-established field rotations in Brazil, India, Peru, Honduras, Ghana, and Liberia, restoring the keystone MTM experience. MTM students engaged with host nation military medical ships, hospitals, and healthcare professionals on the challenges of diagnosis, management, and treatment for their endemic tropical disease cases, which affect both military and civilian populations. The students collaborated in the treatment of infectious disease patients and traveled to high-risk populations to complete rigorous fieldwork that ...

Definition Prothrombin deficiency is a disorder caused by a lack of a protein in the blood called prothrombin. It leads to problems with blood clotting (coagulation). Prothrombin is also known as factor II (factor two). Alternative Names Hypoprothrombinemia; Factor II deficiency; Dysprothrombinemia Causes When you bleed, a series of reactions take place in the body that helps blood clots form. This process is called the coagulation cascade. It involves special proteins called coagulation, or clotting, factors. You may have a higher chance of excess bleeding if one or more of these factors are missing or are not functioning like they should. Prothrombin, or factor II, is one such coagulation factor. Prothrombin deficiency runs in families (inherited) and is very rare. Both parents must have the gene to pass the disorder on to their children. A family history of a bleeding disorder can be a risk factor. Prothrombin deficiency can also be due to another condition or use of...

A Florida man suffering from persistent migraines was in for what was likely a nasty shock when he sought medical treatment and learned what was causing the pain. Festering tapeworm eggs were discovered to have taken up residence in his head after physicians conducted a CT scan to obtain a detailed image of the 52-year-old man's brain. And lots of them. But the parasitic infection didn't happen by accident. The man admitted to making a habit of regularly consuming undercooked bacon, which experts believe is what made him particularly vulnerable to the infestation, according to a report published in the American Journal of Case Reports. The man was treated with antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications before he was instructed to follow up with an infectious diseases clinic, the report stated. While he appears to be on the road to recovery, the researchers warned that the strange condition, known medically as neurocysticercosis, is highly rare in the U.S....

Florin TA, Zaoutis TE, Zaoutis LB. Beyond cat scratch disease: widening spectrum of Bartonella henselae infection. Pediatrics. 2008;121(5):e1413–25. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  Peng J, Fan Z, Zheng H, Lu J, Zhan Y. Combined application of immunohistochemistry and Warthin-starry silver stain on the pathologic diagnosis of cat scratch disease. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 2020;28(10):781–5. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  Klotz SA, Ianas V, Elliott SP. Cat-scratch disease. Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(2):152–5. PubMed  Google Scholar  Windsor JJ. Cat-scratch disease: epidemiology, aetiology and treatment. Br J Biomed Sci. 2001;58(2):101–10. CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  Mazur-M...

In a recent study published in  Nature Microbiology ,  researchers investigate whether infection with the  Trypanosoma brucei  ( T. brucei)  parasite, the causal agent of African trypanosomiasis, induces weight loss by colonizing adipose tissue (AT). Study:  Adipocyte lipolysis protects mice against Trypanosoma brucei infection . Image Credit: fotovpal / Shutterstock.com Background African trypanosomiasis, which affects both animals and humans, is a progressive wasting disease. During this infection, the rapid growth of  T. brucei  in the AT, especially gonadal AT, the largest visceral AT depot, causes progressive weight loss. The molecular mechanism regulating African trypanosomiasis-induced AT weight loss is a disturbance in the balance between adipocyte lipogenesis (anabolism) and lipolysis (catabolism) that occurs within the adipocytes' lipid droplets. The increased lipid catabolism dur...

McKenzie Young has always had an interest in both art and science. Growing up, she loved painting and drawing, but she wasn't one to be stuck inside. She also enjoyed exploring her backyard and the nearby woods, looking for insects and plants. "As I got older, I realized art is something I really wanted to do for a living, but I wanted to still have the ability to keep learning and also indulge in other areas that I was interested in," Young said. "So, I found scientific illustration when I started my undergraduate degree, and I thought it was the perfect blend of everything that I loved. It was just the perfect combination for me." A balance of art and science Young, who is graduating from Augusta University's Master of Science in Medical Illustration program (MSMI) through the College of Allied Health Sciences and The Graduate School, began her undergraduate studies pursuing a degree in painting and drawing t...