Biting on human body parts of Simulium vectors and its implication for the manifestation of Onchocerca nodules along Osun River, southwestern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The biting preference of Simulium vectors has been known to influence the distribution of Onchocerca nodules and microfilariae in human body. There is, however, variation in biting pattern of Simulium flies in different geographical locations. This study investigates the biting pattern on human parts by Simulium vectors along Osun river system where Simulium soubrense Beffa form has been implicated as the dominant vector and its possible implication on the distribution of Onchocerca nodules on human body along the river. METHODS: Flies were collected by consented fly capturers on exposed human parts namely head/neck region, arms, upper limb and lower limb in Osun Eleja and Osun Budepo along Osun river in the wet season (August-September) and the dry season (November-December) in 2008. The residents of the communities were also screened for palpable Onchocerca nodules. RESULTS: The results showed that number of flies collected below the ankle region was significantly higher than the number collected on other exposed parts (p <0.05) while the least was collected on head/neck region in both seasons. The lower trunk was the most common site (60%) for nodule location at Osun Eleja followed by upper trunk (40%). Nodules were not found in the head and limb regions. At Osun Budepo, the upper trunk was the most common site of the nodule location (53.8%) followed by the lower trunk (38.5%) and head region (7.7%). CONCLUSION: Though, most of the flies were caught at the ankle region, the biting of other parts coupled with the presence of nodules at the head and upper trunk regions showed that Simulium vectors could obtain microfilariae from any part of the body, thus increasing the risk of onchocerciasis transmission.

Hydatid cyst in the biceps and gluteus muscles: case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary hydatid disease in the muscle is extremely rare. Usually, intramuscular hydatid cysts are secondary, resulting either from the spread of cysts spontaneously or after operations for hydatidosis in distant regions. METHODS: Report of two unusual cases of primary hydatid cysts in the gluteus and biceps brachii muscles, behaving as enlarging soft-tissue tumors, with review of the pertinent English-language literature. RESULTS: Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound examinations revealed an intramuscular cyst in the anterior aspect of one patient's biceps brachii and the other patient's gluteus maximus muscle; and no cyst existed in any other location. The cysts were excised totally, and the diagnosis of muscular hydatidosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination. In followup of two years after the operation, there has been no recurrence in either patient. CONCLUSION: In geographic regions where hydatidosis is endemic, hydatid cyst should be included in the differential diagnosis of a cystic mass in the muscle to avoid fine-needle biopsy and the consequences of spillage of cyst contents.

The travels of a lone star tick.

A lone-star tick, Amblyomma americanum, was found as a pedunculated lesion on the back of the arm of an 84 year old man in Northern Ireland. This was acquired on a visit to the USA. The tick is found mainly in Texas and the Ozark mountains of Missouri, with scattered foci in other parts of southern USA. It is the vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. As worldwide travel becomes increasingly common, exotic parasites make occasional appearances in northern Europe.

Location of tick (Acari: Ixodidae) attachment sites on humans in North Carolina.

The location of tick attachment sites on humans was determined by information provided by respondents to a questionnaire, and by submission of ticks, in counties that have historically had a high incidence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in North Carolina. Information was gathered from May through September in 1989, 1990, and 1991. Dermacentor variabilis (Say) made up 94% of the collections. Most (50%) were taken from the head; a sizable portion was removed from the legs (22%). The epidemiological implications and potential use of this information in a public information campaign are discussed.

A case of loiasis.

The prevalence of Loa loa infections in non-endemic areas such as Korea is very low, even though it is quite common in the endemic regions of West and Central Africa. We describe a patient who presented with temporary localized edema (classical Calabar swellings) after travelling to Cameroon and in whom the diagnosis of loiasis was made by ELISA. This is the second reported case of loiasis in Korea. As international travel is becoming more frequent, Loa loa infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with eosinophilia and Calabar swellings in Korea.

Community perception regarding chronic filarial swellings: a case study of the Duruma of coastal Kenya.

The aim of this study, carried out between August 1991 and August 1992, was to understand community perception regarding chronic filarial swellings in Lutsangani village, Kwale district, Kenya. Interviews were conducted with 65 patients and informal discussions held with family and community members. The results indicate that bodily change is the concern of most patients who felt that their physical appearance influenced community reactions towards them. These reactions varied from sympathy to neglect. The community attributed elephantiasis to causes other than mosquitoes and these included witchcraft, sexual intercourse and consumption of burnt food. The patients noted the inability of any form of health care to alleviate their suffering. Medical anthropology and general medical knowledge have been used to interpret results.

[Primary hydatid cyst of the coracobrachial muscle. A clinical case]. / Cisti da echinococco primaria del muscolo coracobrachiale. Caso clinico.

Primary localization of hydatidosis in the musculoskeletal system is a quite rare occurrence. We report a case of a 67 year old man with an infestation of the coracobrachialis muscle. We discuss several instrumental and serologic diagnosis methods and the hypothesis of a primary muscular localization.

Primary hydatid disease of brachialis and biceps brachii muscles: a case report.

Primary hydatid cyst of the skeletal muscle is very rare and accounts for less than 1% of all cases. It is often asymptomatic and can pose diagnostic problems. Accurate diagnosis should be made using ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Proper treatment should be a wide surgical resection of the localized muscle with the aid of antihelmintic chemotherapy pre- and postoperatively. We report a case of primary hydatic cyst located simultaneously in both the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles, treated with wide resection surgery and pre- and postoperative anthelmintic chemotherapy.

Tropical myiasis: an unwanted holiday souvenir.

A case of tropical myiasis is described and its treatment outlined.

Cysticercosis of the triceps--an unusual pseudotumor: case report and review.

Cysticercosis is a disease caused by encysted larvae of the tapeworm Taenia solium. Most muscular disease presents with central nervous system involvement or multiple cysts or both. The authors report a 25-year-old woman with a rare single muscle cyst presenting as a tender hard triceps mass. Results of clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging were indicative of a soft tissue tumor. Excision of the mass revealed purulence, and the histologic diagnosis was cysticercosis. In the differential diagnosis of isolated muscular masses, a rare isolated cysticercus presenting as a pseudotumor should be considered.

Dermatobia hominis in the accident and emergency department: "I've got you under my skin".

An unusual form of larval infestation from South America is presented which, in view of increasing tourism to South america's tropical areas, may present to any accident and emergency department. Infestation with Dermatobia hominis is reviewed in terms of clinical recognition and life cycle. Techniques of removal are described.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Peruvian Andes: factors associated with variability in clinical symptoms, response to treatment, and parasite isolation rate.

The severity of cutaneous leishmaniasis may be determined by host immunity, parasite virulence, and host or vector behavior. We performed a multivariate analysis to identify the main causes of the variability in clinical symptoms, response to treatment, and parasite isolation rate among Peruvian patients. The effect of host immunity was demonstrated first by the finding that secondary infections induced smaller lesions associated with a lower parasite isolation rate than did primary infections and, second, by the finding of fewer lesions in older patients. Phenotypic differences between parasite populations were suggested by the observation that the mean scar size and number varied between villages: patients had more scars in villages where the transmission rates were higher. Human behavior probably determined the site of lesions on the body, since most lesions in the cooler South were on the head, whereas in the North, lesions were equally frequent on the extremities. In addition, older patients, who were more likely infected through occupational exposure, had fewer head lesions. Geographic variation in the pattern of exposure to sandflies indicates that uta control strategies should be region specific.

A case of loiasis

The prevalence of Loa loa infections in non-endemic areas such as Korea is very low, even though it is quite common in the endemic regions of West and Central Africa. We describe a patient who presented with temporary localized edema (classical Calabar swellings) after travelling to Cameroon and in whom the diagnosis of loiasis was made by ELISA. This is the second reported case of loiasis in Korea. As international travel is becoming more frequent, Loa loa infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with eosinophilia and Calabar swellings in Korea.