Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Leishmaniasis is divided into
clinical syndromes according to what part of the body is affected most. In
visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the parasite affects the organs of the body.
Infections from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Brazil account for
90% of cases of VL. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common form of
leishmaniasis and, as the name implies, the skin is the predominate site of
infection. Over 90% of cases of CL are acquired in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, or Bolivia. Less commonly, cases are
reported from other countries including southern Europe. Of note, U.S. troops
stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan have acquired CL. Very rarely, isolated cases
have been reported from border states like Texas. In some people, CL progresses
to involve the mucocutaneous membranes, a condition known as mucocutaneous
leishmaniasis (ML). Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis occurs only in the New World and
is most common in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
What causes leishmaniasis? How is leishmaniasis transmitted?
Leishmaniasis is
caused by protozoal parasites from the Leishmania species. The organisms are
microscopic in size. There are about 21 species of Leishmania that affect humans,
including the L. donovani complex and the L. Mexicana complex, among others. The
life cycle is relatively simple. When the sand fly bites a human, it injects
small numbers of parasites which are rapidly taken up by mononuclear blood
cells. This stage is called the promastigote stage. Once inside the human
mononuclear cells, the parasite enters the amastigote stage and begins to
multiply and infect other cells and tissues. Uninfected sand flies acquire the
parasite by feeding on infected people or infected animals such as dogs, foxes,
or rodents.
Figure 2: Life cycle of Leishmania
Less commonly, parasites may be transmitted by blood transfusion or through
drug users sharing contaminated needles. Leishmania may also be transmitted from
a pregnant mother to her fetus.
The word "rash" means an outbreak of red bumps on the body. The way people use this term, "a rash" can refer to many different skin conditions. The most common of these are scaly patches of skin and red, itchy bumps or patches all over the place.
There are many symptoms involved in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. The first early pregnancy symptom is typically a missed period, but others include breast swelling and tenderness, nausea and sometimes vomiting, fatigue and bloating. Second trimester symptoms include backache, weight gain, itching, and possible stretch marks. Third trimester symptoms are additional weight gain, heartburn, hemorrhoids, swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face, breast tenderness, and trouble sleeping. Read more to learn about recommended procedures and tests for each stage of a healthy pregnancy.
Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects humans when it comes in contact with a break in the skin or tissues such as those that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make the right decisions and increase the urge to take drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are preventable.
Scar formation is a natural part of the healing process after injury. The depth and size of the wound incision and the location of the injury impact the scar's characteristics, but your age, heredity and even sex or ethnicity will affect how your skin reacts.
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