Leprosy

Leprosy, a chronic bacterial infection (also called Hansen’s disease) caused by Mycobacterium leprae that damages nerves in the skin, limbs, face and mucous membranes. Untreated leprosy can lead to severe complications, including blindness, and disfigurement, but leprosy can be cure with proper medication.

The modern term for the disease is named after the discoverer of the bacterium, Gerhard Armauer Hansen. Sufferers of Hansen’s disease have historically been known as lepers, however this term is falling into disuse as a result of the diminishing number of leprosy patients and the pejorative connotations of the term.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not highly contagious. While the disease still carries significant stigma, patient care has become integrated with routine health care.

Like tuberculosis, it is a very old disease which was already known in ancient times. Leprosy was first mentioned as a curse in Shinto prayers of 1250 BC. It was also mentioned in some Egyptian legends to explain the exodus of the Hebrews. For hundreds years, those with leprosy were taken to a priest, not a doctor and were found ‘guilty; not sick.

Outbreaks of the disease increase in poor socioeconomic conditions (lack of nutrition, bad physical constitution, insufficient hygienic measures). Leprosy primarily involves the skin and the peripheral nervous systems. Typical symptoms are a loss of hair, and impairment of sweet production and sensory disorders.
Leprosy

New Species Of Infectious Disease Found In Amazon

New Species Of Infectious Disease Found In Amazon
While investigating the tropical disease leptospirosis in the Peruvian Amazon, an infectious disease specialist from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has uncovered new, emerging bacteria that may be responsible for up to 40 percent of cases of the disease. Patients with severe forms of leptospirosis have jaundice, renal failure and lung hemorrhage, with high fatality rates.

Joseph Vinetz, M.D., professor of medicine in UC San Diego's Division of Infectious Diseases working in collaboration with colleagues from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, and others headed the study that led to discovery of the new species in the family of pathogens, Leptospira, which is spread from animals to humans. The findings will be published in the April 1 issue of the Public Library of Science (PLoS) journal Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Leptospirosis is a severe, water-borne disease transmitted from animals to humans, with tens of millions of human cases worldwide each year. Fatality rates can range as high as 20 to 25 percent in some regions, and it is particularly prevalent in tropical countries where poor people live under highly crowded condition, or in rural areas where people are exposed to water contaminated by the urine of Leptospira-infected animals such as rats.

The new species reflects Amazonian biodiversity, according to Vinetz, and the pathogen has apparently evolved to become an important cause of leptospirosis in the Peruvian Amazon region of Iquitos. There, Vinetz leads an international team of physicians from the U.S. and Peru in an NIH-funded training program studying malaria, leptospirosis and other infectious diseases that impact disadvantaged populations in developing countries.

The researchers found that the new species, Leptospira licerasiae cultured from a very small number of patients, as well as eight rats is significantly different from other forms of the bacteria at a genomic level and has novel biological features.

"This strain has fundamentally different characteristics," said Vinetz, adding that the next step is to sequence its genome. "We think that hundreds of patients are infected with this pathogen, which is so unique that antibodies for the disease don't react to the regular tests for leptospirosis."

In testing 881 patients in a prospective clinical study of fever, the researchers found that 41 percent of them had antibodies that reacted only to this new strain of the bacteria, showing a much higher incidence of leptospirosis than previously suspected.

"This observation is relevant to other regions of the world where leptospirosis is likely to be common, because it's necessary to identify the right strain of the Lepstospira in order to make the correct diagnosis," Vinetz said.

Since isolation of the new Leptospira in people was rare despite the high prevalence of antibodies to this strain of the bacteria in the Amazonian population, Vinetz theorizes that the individuals with positive cultures may have a previously undiscovered immune system defect, making them more susceptible to the disease.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
New Species Of Infectious Disease Found In Amazon

Yeast Infections in Children

Yeast Infections in Children
We love our children and because of that love we do all that we can to provide for them. This provision for our children includes caring for their physical needs such as the giving of food, clothing and shelter. We also provide for their educational needs and do all that we can to ensure that their education is rich and full. Also, because of our love, we do our utmost to protect them from harm.

Unfortunately, we cannot isolate our children and therefore negative things do occur in our children's lives. Probably, the most agonizing negative event in our children's lives is when they become sick. We nurse them back to health through their episodes of fever, cutting teeth, colds, allergies, infections and other ailments that affect us all.

One such infection, that we may have a tendency to blame ourselves for is a yeast infection in children. Often we equate yeast infections in children with not caring properly for our child. Therefore, it is important to know what causes a yeast infection in children as well as the symptoms and steps we can take to prevent this infection from reoccurring.

Causes

It is important to remember that a child is simply a child. In other words, a child is not fully developed in all aspects of their being. They are not fully developed mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.

Therefore, a child's immune system is still in the developing stage. This fact is dramatically demonstrated in the number of colds that a child comes down with during their adolescence. This susceptibility to infection is based on the fact that their immune system is still in the process of strengthening and at this point in time does not have the capability of fighting off the various childhood diseases.

In addition, in our efforts to be good parents, we take our children to see the pediatrician and they in turn will prescribe antibiotics to fight the illness. It is this very action that is one of the major reasons for a yeast infection in children. This is due to the fact that the antibiotic will destroy the bacteria, good and bad, within the child's body. Good bacteria are necessary to maintain the proper balance of the digestive and immune system of the individual. In turn, this absence of bacteria then allows the yeast fungus, present in all individuals, to remain unchecked within the body. This created situation then allows for a higher percentage of yeast infections in children to occur.

Affected Areas

There are numerous areas of the body that are affected by a yeast infection in children. Those areas include the mouth, genital area (diaper rashes) and infections of the ear. In addition there are associated ailments of the digestive system. These ailments include excessive gas, loose stools and bloating.

Prevention

In preventing or taking measures of addressing reoccurring yeast infections in children it is important to start with building up their immune system. The best and most natural method of accomplishing this is through diet.

A child's diet should be rich in natural foods and provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to ensure the child's full development. Supplements may be indicated that provide anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins, etc.

It is also important not to introduce foods into your child's digestive system that may contain the very elements you are trying to avoid. This element is fungus or mold. Therefore, a child's diet should be free of peanuts or peanut butter as these products may contain mold. Guaranteed organic peanut butter or peanuts is permissible.
Yeast Infections in Children