Monday, February 4, 2008

WORMS! (Last non-virus post, I swear)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Df_iGe_JSzI [fun parasitic worm you don’t want to get] – I credit Rebecca Hebner for this.

Also, resistance to ivermectin is emerging in onchoceriasis! NOT GOOD.

Onchocerciasis in an infection caused by Onchocerca volvuls, a fun parasite nematode worm that is transmitted to humans by a Simulium black fly. Fly larvae develops in fast-flowing rivers, and those infected suffer from severe skin lesions in addition to eye damage that can lead to irreversible loss of site. This is why onchocerciasis is also called “river blindness.” 99% of the 37 million people infected live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ivermectin is the only treatment known for onchocerciasis control. It can kill the parasite embryos circulation in patients, temporarily interrupting the nematode’s reproduction.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95902.php

Julia

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