Preventive Medicine | ParentsSquare

Hook Worm Infection in Children

Largely common in tropical climes, hook worm infection is caused by parasites called Ancylostoma Duodenale and Necator Americanus. Hookworms live in the small intestine of an infected person and are excreted in the faeces. The worms can find their way into your body by penetrating the skin, usually through the feet if you are walking bare… [ Continue Reading → ]

Rabies

An acute viral disease of the central nervous system, rabies is usually fatal. Normally, dogs, cats, jackals and wolves are carriers of the disease, which is transmitted to human beings if they are bitten or even licked by a rabid animal. Caused by a virus called Lyssavirus type 1, rabies is transmitted through the saliva… [ Continue Reading → ]

Hepatitis C

The Hepatitis C virus is a fairly new entity for professional practitioners of medicine, since it was identified as recently as 1989. Transmission The virus is mainly transmitted through transfusion of contaminated blood or using contaminated equipment such as needles. Most of the Hepatitis C cases are intravenous drug users, who share needles. However, unlike… [ Continue Reading → ]

Hydatid Disease

Caused by a tapeworm called Echinococcus that exists in the intestines of animals, Hydatid disease is prevalent in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India. The tapeworms, which are about 7 millimetres in length, live in the small intestines of dogs. Its eggs are excreted in the dog faeces and contaminate the soil, vegetation and… [ Continue Reading → ]

Malaria

A major problem in tropical countries, malaria is caused by mosquitoes which act as hosts to the parasite. There are four types of parasites: Plasmodium vivax Plasmodium falciparum Plasmodium malarie Plasmodium ovale Of these, the Plasmodium Vivax, which is the most common, is transmitted to humans by the infected female Anopheline mosquito. Certain kinds of… [ Continue Reading → ]

Tetanus

Tetanus, caused by the bacillus Clostridium Tetani, is quite rare in developed countries, but is still an endemic infection in India. The most common form of the disease, neonatal tetanus (newborns suffering from tetanus), has a fatality rate as high as 80 to 90 per cent. One has, however, noticed a decrease in the neonatal… [ Continue Reading → ]

Plague

The fact that plague is transmitted by rodents and fleas has been known since ages. And, the drugs needed to fight the disease are easily available. Yet, over the past 20 years, the global fatality rate has been 9 per cent annually, says the World Health Organisation. Caused by the bacillus Yersania Pestis present in… [ Continue Reading → ]

Hepatitis B

Another infectious disease, Hepatitis B, which is caused by a virus, occurs largely among newborns and young children. High risk group People who are more likely to contract the disease are surgeons, recipients of blood transfusions, health care and laboratory personnel, prostitutes, drug abusers, infant of a carrier mother. Source of infection Contaminated blood and… [ Continue Reading → ]

Sexually-transmitted Diseases

If you use a condom to keep AIDS away, you will also be safe from other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) too. For, AIDS is just one of the many STDs you could contract with unsafe sex. Of the more than 20 pathogens that may cause STD, the most commonly known are syphilis, gonorrhoea, chancroid, lymphogranuloma venerium,… [ Continue Reading → ]

Hepatitis A

An extremely infectious disease, Hepatitis A is caused by a virus which takes several weeks to disappear. The disease is, however, largely benign and is usually seen in children. The infection tends to be mild in young children and its clinical severity increases with the age of the person affected. Resistance The virus is resistant… [ Continue Reading → ]