Lecture 16 - International health Flashcards
what are the classes of the main neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)?
- protozoan infections
- bacterial infections
- helminth infections
- viral infections
give examples of neglected protozoan infections
- HAT
- chagas disease
- leishmaniasis
give examples of neglected bacterial infections
- buruli ulcer
- leprosy
- trachoma
give examples of neglected helminth infections
- ascariasis
- hookworm infection
- trichuriasis
- schistosomiasis
give examples of neglected viral infections
- dengue
- rabies
what are DALYs?
Disability Adjusted Life Years
how many DALYs are lost from NTDs?
56.6m
where is the highest prevalence of neglected tropical diseases?
Sub-Saharan Africa
what 3 NTDs have the most cases in Sub-Saharan Africa?
1) hookworm
2) ascariasis
3) schistosomiasis
what is schistosomiasis?
- also known as snail fever/bilharzia
- disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes
- affects the poorest people
- serious because anyone who swims in fresh water in Africa/does irrigation/domestic duties could become infected
describe the life cycle of schistosomes
1) eggs are eliminated with faeces/urine
2) eggs hatch if they are deposited in fresh water
3) larvae infect snails and reproduce
4) snails body is taken over and massive sexual reproduction occurs
5) larvae are released as free living larvae in thousands from each snail
6) each larvae can penetrate unbroken human skin
7) larvae migrate around the body to liver and mature into adults
8) adults pair in liver
9) adults migrate to blood vessels around the bladder and intestine and lay eggs (to be eliminated)
what are the health consequences of schistosomiasis?
- blood in urine
- malnutrition
- anaemia
- growth retardation
- cognitive impairment
- increased susceptibility to other infections
- inflammation of organs
what are the life threatening consequences of schistosomiasis?
- bladder cancer
- portal hypertension
- vomiting of blood
what is the treatment of schistosomiasis?
praziquantel: kills adult schistosomes
- off-patent = significant price cuts in 1990s making it more affordable
what is female genital schistosomiasis?
- urinary schistosomiasis in females causes genital lesions as eggs are trapped in the cervix
- lesions have been linked to increased risk of HIV
- higher than expected HIV in Mozambique, Malawi, S. Africa and Tanzania
- treatment of young females is essential
what are soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections?
- “worms”
- lead to stunting and decreased school performance in children
- most common infections of children worldwide
- estimated that 44m pregnant women harbour hookworm infections so deworming greatly improves pregnancy outcomes, avoiding: increased maternal mortality, low birthweight
what are the treatments of STH infections?
- albendazole
- mebendazole
what is onchocerciasis?
- also known as river blindness
- uses blackfly vector
- causes blindness and severe skin disease
- 37m infected (99% in Africa)