Serie parasitosis en dermatología: tungiasis / Dermatology iconography: tungiasis

La tungiasis es una ectoparasitosis causada por la penetración en la piel de la pulga hembra Tunga penetrans. Esta enfermedad no es específica del hombre y se distribuye en regiones cálidas y secas alrededor del mundo. Se adquiere por contacto directo con el suelo en donde habitan los parásitos adultos. En zonas endémicas, su alta prevalencia se asocia a pobreza y falta de acceso al sistema de salud. Además es frecuente entre viajeros que visitan regiones endémicas y que regresan a sus lugares de origen. Presentamos un caso típico de tungiasis en un paciente 39 años que había realizado un viaje reciente a zona endémica. (AU)

Tungiasis is an ectoparasitosis caused by penetration into the skin of the female flea Tunga penetrans. This disease is not human-specific and is distributed worldwide in warm, dry regions. It is acquired by direct contact with the soil where the adult parasites live. In endemic areas, its high prevalence is associated with poverty and lack of access to the health system. It is also frequent among travelers visiting endemic regions and returning to their places of origin. We present a typical case of tungiasis in a 39 year old patient who had made a recent trip to an endemic area. (AU)

Prevalence and clinical aspects of tungiasis in south-west Nigerian schoolchildren.

Tungiasis is highly prevalent in resource-poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa, but studies among schoolchildren are scanty. We assessed prevalence, parasite load and clinical aspects of tungiasis in schoolchildren in south-western Nigeria. A total of 545 schoolchildren was examined. Of these, 133 (24.4%; 95% CI, 20.9-28.2%) were infested with Tunga penetrans Boys showed a higher prevalence than girls (31% versus 18%, P < 0.0001); in those infested, the median number of lesions was two, with no gender difference (2 boys, interquartile range, 1-4; 2 girls; interquartile range, 1-4; P = 0.34). The maximum number of 44 lesions was found in a 14-year-old boy. Desquamation was present in 90.2%, followed by erythema (54.9%) and oedema (43.6%); 54.9% showed any chronic pathology and more one-third nail deformations. Our study indicates that tungiasis is an important health problem in rural Nigerian schoolchildren. Sustainable interventions are required to control the disease in this and similar communities.

Tungiasis Outbreak in Travelers From Madagascar.

Seven patients from a group of 16 travelers were diagnosed at our institution with one or more sand fleas on their toes, 1 day to 3 weeks after returning from Madagascar. A questionnaire was sent to the whole group to collect clinical and epidemiological information, which showed that 9 of 13 (69%) had received pre-travel medical advice, but none were aware of sand flea; thus prevention measures were rarely applied. Five of seven (71%) patients wore open sandals throughout the trip. Overall, 10 sand fleas were extracted.

Tungiasis / Tungiasis

We present a ten years' old patient immune competent, with multiple lesions of tungiasis in both feet, that consult when she returned of her vacations in Paraguay. We make a brief description of the topic.

Se presenta una paciente de 10 años de edad inmunocompetente con lesiones múltiples de tungiasis en ambos pies, que consulta al regreso de sus vacaciones en Paraguay. Se efectúa una breve revisión del tema.