Rabies, tetanus, leprosy, and malaria.

The developing world is still endemic to rabies, tetanus, leprosy, and malaria. Globally more than 55000 people die of rabies each year, about 95% in Asia and Africa. Annually, more than 10 million people, mostly in Asia, receive postexposure vaccination against the disease. World Health Organization estimated tetanus-related deaths at 163000 in 2004 worldwide. Globally, the annual detection of new cases of leprosy continues to decline and the global case detection declined by 3.54% during 2008 compared to 2007. Malaria is endemic in most countries, except the US, Canada, Europe, and Russia. Malaria accounts for 1.5-2.7 million deaths annually. Much of the disease burden related to these four infections is preventable.

[Hans Schliack (1919 - 2008): a personal and professional appraisal]. / Hans Schliack (1919 - 2008): Eine persönliche und wissenschaftliche Würdigung.

Hans Schliack (1919 -2008) was one of the prominent post war neurologists who acted successfully for the emancipation of clinical neurology in the former western part of Berlin and Germany. His scientific work was destined to the theory of segments (dermatomes, myotomes, zones of Head, initially with Karl Hansen in Lübeck), sweat disturbances in neurological disorders and peripheral nerve lesions. The latter issue led - in cooperation with Marco Mumenthaler - to the textbook, which held its leading standard since its first edition in 1965. Schliack's founding editorship of the purely neurological journal "Aktuelle Neurologie" since 1974, his author- and editorship of neurological textbooks and his teaching of numerous coworkers in Berlin and Hannover stress his outstanding role over nearly five decades.

Clinical evaluation and care of the insensitive foot.

Until fairly recently, foot deformity was accepted as part of the natural course of a disease with associated sensory loss such as Hansen's disease or diabetes. Now we recognize that most of this deformity is caused by physical forces and that, with proper care, deformity can be prevented. The therapist must perform accurate methods of assessment such as inspecting and palpating the skin, testing for sensory loss, recording footprints, and measuring foot volume and must provide knowledgeable treatment techniques. The patient must be taught how to care for his feet and how to prevent continued trauma with subsequent infection and bony absorption, which ultimately result in deformity that could have been prevented. These evaluation, treatment, and education techniques are discussed in detail.

Therapeutic footwear for the insensitive foot.

The patient with insensitive feet may be injured by poorly fitted or inappropriate footwear. The risk of soft-tissue injury from friction or pressure can be reduced by careful selection and fitting of footwear and frequent evaluation of both footwear and the patient's feet. Concepts, methods, and materials utilized in treating patients with Hansen's disease can be applied to the prevention and treatment of injuries secondary to sensory deficit caused by other conditions. The microcapsule sock test has been used to assess shear forces and pressures that occur while shoes are worn. Test method and interpretation of test results are described.