Latest Sarcoptes scabiei Stories
As Halloween approaches, tales of monsters and creepy crawlies abound. Among the most fearsome is the legendary beast known as the chupacabras.But the real fiend is not the hairless, fanged animal purported to attack and drink the blood of livestock; it's a tiny, eight-legged creature that turns a healthy, wild animal into a chupacabras, says University of Michigan biologist Barry OConnor.The existence of the chupacabras, also known as the goatsucker, was first surmised from livestock attacks...
Dermatologists address the growing incidence of parasitic infestations linked to skin and hair problems MIAMI, March 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- If simply the thought of bedbugs, scabies and head lice makes you feel a little itchy, imagine how those affected by these common infestations feel when they learn what has been creeping around them and causing symptoms such as intense itching, red bite marks or irritated scalps. Even less comforting is the fact that some parasitic infestations...
Trichina worms (Trichinella spp.) are roundworms that can invade a wide range of animals and man. People are most often infected through eating trichina-containing pork. For her doctorate, Rebecca Davidson investigated the incidence of trichina in red foxes in Norway. Her findings show that red foxes throughout Norway are liable to become infected, but that the parasite is most common in southern and especially south-eastern areas. The most frequently-found Trichinella species in the red fox,...
By Jane E. Brody Most people expect to return from vacation with fond memories of a relaxing or exciting time and perhaps photos to document it. That wasn't exactly the case for one 25-year-old man who took a trip to a Brazilian beach. Five weeks after returning to his home in Spain, he began to itch. He itched everywhere, intensely, and especially at night, which made sleep almost impossible. After two months of this torment, with pimples and the sores from scratching them on his abdomen,...
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What can I do to get rid of scabies? I had a terrible itch on my fingers and hands, and it was diagnosed as eczema. The eczema medicine didn't work. My doctor sent me to a dermatologist, who made the scabies diagnosis. The whole affair embarrasses me, and I don't want anyone to know. I applied the skin cream twice, but I still have the itch. Can't this terrible thing be cured? I am at my wits end. - C.F. ANSWER: Scabies isn't an embarrassment. Hundreds of millions of people...
