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Biomedical subjects

G Juckett

Publications and source records attributed to G Juckett.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Pets and Parasites.

Which parasites can be transmitted by household cats and dogs? Certainly a variety of potentially dangerous helminths and protozoa can be transmitted to humans from pets but, for the most part, very special conditions must be present before this occurs. Small children, pregnant women and immunocompromised persons are three groups at greater potential risk than the general population. Infants and toddlers may contract visceral or cutaneous larva migrans, tapeworm infections and, rarely, other helminths or protozoa. Pregnant women and their offspring are at special risk for toxoplasmosis. Immunocompromised persons (including those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) are susceptible to multiple infections but especially to cryptosporidiosis, an underdiagnosed zoonosis present in contaminated water supplies. Other zoonotic infections (Echinococcosis, Dirofilariasis) rarely appear in the general population but, when they do occur, pose very real diagnostic challenges. The risk of disease transmission from pets can be minimized by taking a few simple precautions such as avoiding fecal-oral contact, not emptying the cat's litterbox if pregnant, washing hands carefully after handling pets, worming pets regularly and supervising toddler-pet interactions. In most cases, the psychologic benefits of pet ownership appear to outweigh the reducible risks of disease transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Plant dermatitis. Possible culprits go far beyond poison ivy.

Given the variety of existing plant species in the environment, it is remarkable that people have adjusted as well as they have to the many plants that can cause uncomfortable skin reactions. With a basic understanding of the types of reaction and the common plants that cause each type, physicians can help patients discover the source of the dermatitis and thus prevent reexposure. In immediate contact dermatitis, welts form rapidly after patients brush against an offending plant, but the urticarial rash is short-lived. In irritant contact dermatitis, the skin is traumatized mechanically (eg, with cactus spines) or chemically (eg, with capsaicin from hot peppers), producing a more persistent skin reaction. Phytophotodermatitis occurs when the skin is exposed to sunlight after contact with an offending plant; reactions are erythema, pruritus, vesiculation, and subsequent hyperpigmentation. Allergic contact dermatitis, typified by the rash of poison ivy, is a cell-mediated immune response that occurs in previously sensitized persons. Erythema, vesiculation, and pruritus, which usually heal without causing pigmentary changes, may last for several weeks.

Dermatitis, Contact↗
PubMed1996

Intestinal protozoa.

Giardia is the best known cause of protozoal gastrointestinal disease in North America, producing significant but not life-threatening gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea. Although diagnosis of giardiasis may be challenging, treatment is usually successful. Entamoeba histolytica poses a rarer but far more difficult clinical challenge. Dysentery caused by E. histolytica may be the most feared intestinal protozoal infection, although Cryptosporidium parvum, Balantidium coli, Isospora belli, Sarcocystis species and other newly described protozoa also may cause diarrhea in healthy individuals and may result in intractable, life-threatening illness in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or other immunosuppressive diseases. Certain protozoa once considered relatively unimportant, such as Cryptosporidium, are now recognized as significant causes of morbidity even in the United States, since transmission readily occurs through contaminated water.

Balantidiasis↗
PubMed1995

Common intestinal helminths.

Groups at risk for intestinal helminth infestation include international students and travelers, migrant laborers, refugees, children of foreign adoptions and the homeless. Symptoms are often minimal or vague, yet many such infections carry significant long-term morbidity. Enterobius vermicularis, the common pinworm, is usually manifested in children as anal itching and is best diagnosed by using the cellophane-tape test to recover eggs from the perianal skin. Treatment with mebendazole is indicated for the entire family. Trichuris, or whipworm, infection may be found with Ascaris infection, but whipworms are longer-lived and more likely to produce symptoms that mimic those of inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment for these parasites is mebendazole. Other significant helminthic infections, which are currently more common in immigrant populations, include hookworms (Necator americanus, Ancylostoma duodenale), threadworms (Strongyloides) and various tapeworms (Taenia, Diphyllobothrium and Hymenolepis species).

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Travel medicine for West Virginians.

Preparation for overseas travel often involves a prolonged search for expertise and necessary vaccinations that can be a formidable challenge to patients and physicians alike. Many primary care providers find themselves ill-equipped to provide up-to-date information for travel to undeveloped countries where there may be risks of diarrhea, malaria and other exotic diseases. However, basic travel advice can easily be incorporated into most practices with the help of regularly updated reference materials such as the CDC's Health Information for International Travel. More advanced assistance along with the necessary vaccinations is available throughout West Virginia at a number of travel clinics which are discussed in this article. Through greater awareness of travel issues and timely referral, physicians may expedite their patients' travel plans while safeguarding their health abroad.

Diarrhea↗