Week 7: Tropical Diseases 1 Flashcards
what are some of the factors which summarise tropical medicine (x5)?
Poverty, inequality and the underdevelopment of health care within the tropics
Conflict, corruption and neo-colonialism of places within the tropics
Tropical populations usually have a young population, high birth and death rates
Malnutrition and lack of health services is also common in the tropics
Tropics have the characteristic hot and humid climate, which is the perfect environment for a range of exotic organisms (some diseases which are rare everywhere else around the world are common here)
What is scrub typhus, hows it transmitted and its treatment?
Is a mite-borne ‘rickettsia’ which bites a person to transmit the infectious disease
Doxycycline
What is the clinical presentation of patients with scrub typhus?
Headache
Fever
Chills
Red eyes
Rash
Eschar at bite (dry dark scab
Reduce liver function and decreased platelets
Onset after 10 days
What is Q fever, hows it transmitted and whats it treatment?
An infectous disease from a bacteria associated with sheep, goats, cattle and domestic animals
Transmitted by the wind, has a spore like form that can get blown or contact with animals
Treated with doxycycline
What must you consider before adminstering a vaccination to someone who is going to work with animals?
if the person is deemed immune to Q fever (have been previously exposed or vaccinated) they do not need and cannot have a second vaccination as it can cause a severe reaction.
What are the clinical presentations and manifestations of Q fever?
Severe headache
Fever
Fatigue
Muscle ache
Drug cough
Manifestations:
Miscarriage
Valve lesion
Endocarditis
What is leptospirosis, hows it treated and hows it transmitted?
Incidental disease (bacteria) which is commonly carried by rats (mammals carry it).
Can be infected if come into contact with urine of injected mammal (usually rats)
Treated with doxycycline (if gets serious penicillins)
When are cases of leptospirosis typically high in communities?
During times of low water level as water is closer to soil, more concentrated infectious cells, and when water is high (from soil disturbances)
What are the clinical presentations of leptospirosis?
Red eyes
Rash
Pains
Fever (can result in ICU)
What is meliodosis, hows it transmitted and how is it treated?
Is an accidental infectious disease that is caused by a soil bacteria
It enters the body through skin breaks or inhalation or ingested
Treated through intensive antibiotics
What are the clinical presentations of meliodosis?
Pneumonia
Abscesses Sepsis
what patients are at increased risk of meliodosis?
Diabetics, alcholics, elderly, immune system compromised
What is tuberculosis, how is transmitted and whats it treatment?
Is a bacteria that is associated with the lungs
Patients transmit TB through coughing up the bacteria which is inhaled by others (via droplets)
antibiotics for 6-9 months
Why is tuberculosis commonly missed until the infection has long started?
Because it remains latent (hiden) and emerges when your immunity falls
What are some of the problems that make it harder to eradicate TB?
Clinicians aren’t thinking of it anymore
Drug resistance strains are beginning to emerge
Prolonged and costly treatment (people stop treatment when they feel better)
It is hard to diagnose
Doctors don’t treat latent cases
