ANISAKIASIS (HERRING WORM DISEASE)

Anisarkis marina parasites herrings and other marine animals. Human infections occur in Holland and Japan from the consumption of raw herrings.
An eosinophilic granuloma forms in the intestine and may give rise to colic, fever and intestinal obstruction.
An indirect haemagglutination test has been used for diagnosis.
Surgery may be required.

GNATHOSTOMIASIS

Gnasthostoma is a nematode of digs and cats in Bangladesh, South East Asia and Far EAST.

TRICHNELLA SPIRALIS

This parasite of rats and pigs is transmitted to man by eating partially cooked infected pork

ANGIOSTRONGYLUS

Angiostrongylus, a nematode affecting the lungs of rodents, has a larval stage in molluscus and fresh water shrimps. In the Far East and the Pacific, where infected crustacea are eaten or infected slugs on vegetables are inadvertently swallowed, the larvae may cause a serious eosinophilic meningitis and immature worms may be found in CSF, Thiabendazole is effective but patients often recover spontaneously.

ANCYLOSTOMA BRASILIENSE AND ANCYLOSTOMA CANINUM

These are intestinal parasites of dogs with a similar life cycle to A.duodenale, but in man they cause a creeping. eruption or cutaneous larva migrans. The larva burrows between the corium and stratum granulosum and progresses irregularly at about 1cm in 24 hours.

Clinical features
The skin at the advancing end is erythematous and may vesiculate while that over the older part of the burrow is discoloured and scaly. Itching may be intense. The larva may remain active for months.

Management
Treatment is tropical. One 0.5 g tablet of thiabendazole is ground in to 5g petroleum jelly rubbed into affected site twice daily for a few days.

TOXOCARA CANIS

This is common intestinal worms of dogs. The ova are passed in the animal's faeces.

ENTEROBIUS VERMICULARIS (THREADWORM)

This helminth is common throughout the world, It affects children especially.

CANCRUM ORIS

Cancrum oris is rare except in poorly nourished children in the tropics.

MELIOIDOSIS

Meliodosis is caused by Pseudomonas pseudomallei, a micro organism closely related to P.mallei, the cause of glanders, which is a rare disease of horses and rarely their grooms.

TULARAEMIA

Tularaemia is an infection due to Francisella tularensis transmitted to mammals and birds by the bites of infected blood-sucking flies and ticks.

SCARLET FEVER

Although scarlet fever is at present a mild disease, it may not necessarily remain so, as fluctuations in its severity have been record for the past 300 years.

ERYSIPELAS

Erysipelas is an acute streptococcal infection of the skin, commoner in the elderly.

DERMATOPHYTES

This large group of fungi infect keratinised tissues and are responsible for ringworm of the body and scalp,

TICK-BORNE TYPHUS FEVERS (Rocky mountain spotted fever)

The casual organism, R.rickettsii is transmitted by the bite of hard (Ixodid) ticks which carry the infection to rodents and dogs and on occasion to man. It is widely distributed througout the world but now decreasing in Western and South-eastern states of the USA and also in South America.

COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS

This is caused by Coccidioides immitis and found in Southern United States, and Central and South America. The disease is acquired by inhalation.

GIARDIASIS

Infection with the flagellate Gardia intestinalis known also as G.lamblia, is world-wide but commoner in the tropics.

TRICHURIS TRICHIURA (WHIP WORM)

Infections with whipworm are common all over the world under unhygienic conditions.

ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES ('ROUND WORM')

This pale-yellow worm is 20-35 cm long. Man is infected by eating food contaminated with mature ova.

FASCIOLOPSIASIS

Fasciolopsis buski is the largest fluke to infect man.

LICE

As well as transmitting serious disease, the body louse pediculus humanus causes dermatitis and sleeplessness through itching, especially in poor crowded communities in cold countries.