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Cardiovascular System
Amebiasis: See full discussion (Worldwide): Amebiasis is an amebic gastrointestinal infection (sometimes affecting other systems) that may be asymptomatic, chronic, or acute. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea (with blood), weight loss, dehydration. Systemic dissemination is usually to the liver, but may also involve the brain, heart (pericarditis), lungs, and genitalia. Invasive amebiasis is treated with metronidazole and colonization without symptoms is treated with paromomycin or iodoquinol.
Chagas' Disease or American trypanosomiais: See full discussion (Most of Latin America): Chagas' disease is a protozoan infection with Trypanosoma cruzi transmitted by insect bite. Patients may be asymptomatic or have a lesion at the site of the bite; and symptoms of prolonged fever, tachycardia, fatigue, weakness, splenomegaly, and lymphadenopathy. Myocarditis or meningoencephalitis may also occur. Most patients experience spontaneous remission of symptoms, followed by a lifelong low-grade parasitemia. There is not currently a satisfactory treatment for any stage of Chagas' disease. Current treatment includes nifurtimox 8-10 mg/kg/day po qid for 90-120 days or benznidazole 5 mg/kg/day po for 60 days. These long-term therapies are toxic to some patients. In the United States, nifurtimox is available only from the Centers for Disease Control and benznidazole is not available in the U.S.
Diphtheria (Worldwide): Diphtheria is an acute upper respiratory infection caused by virulent strains of the toxin-producing gram positive bacillus, Cornybacterium diphtheriae. Symptoms include fever, serosanguinous nasal discharge, sore throat, and gray pseudomembrane in the pharynx, nasopharynx, and/or trachea. Complications include respiratory tract obstruction, pneumonia, peripheral neuritis, and/or myocarditis. Immunization is essentially universal among younger people in the U.S., but some refugees and immigrants may not be immunized. Treatment includes (1) diptheria antitoxin within 48 hours of onset (after testing for sensitivity to antitoxin); (2) procaine penicillin G 600,000 units IM bid for 14 days (150,000 units/kg/day IV for 10 days for pediatric patients) or erythromycin 500 mg parenterally or po qid; (3) bedrest and supportive care; and (4) isolation until secretions are noncontagious. With some differences in regime, carriers are also treated.
Psittacosis (Worldwide): Psittacosis is Chlamydia psittaci infection contracted from infected birds. Psittacosis is characterized by rapid onset of fever, chills, headache, dry cough, myalgia; and later development of dyspnea and atypical pneumonia. Complications include endocarditis, hepatitis, or neurologic complications. Except for contact with birds, psittacosis is indistinguishable from viral, mycoplasmic, or other atypical pneumonias. Treatment is with tetracycline or erythromycin.
Q fever (Worldwide): Q fever is a rickettsial zoonosis (infection with gram negative Coxiella burnetii) contracted primarily from inhalation of dust contaminated by infected animals, especially sheep, cattle, and goats; and also other mammals. Other routes of infection include contact with milk and tissue from infected animals. Manifestations of acute Q fever include fever, fatigue, headache, cough, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and myalgia. Pneumonia develops in a small number of patients. Other complications are hepatitis, pericarditis, myocarditis, and meningoencephalitis. Hepato/splenomegaly and endocarditis are common in chronic Q fever. Endocarditis is frequently associated with purpuric rash, renal insufficiency, stroke, and heart failure. Treatment of acute Q fever is with doxycycline or a quinolone. Chronic Q fever requires combination therapy such as rifampin and doxycycline.
Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia: See full discussion (Numerous areas of the world, especially Africa and Asia with variants and locations noted in the full discussion). Schistosomiasis is caused by Schistosoma sp. and encompasses several syndromes, not all of which are evident in all infected persons. Initial symptoms may include a pruritic, papular rash - most commonly in persons who do not live in endemic areas. Acute schistosomiasis (Katayama fever) occurs in primary infection 1-2 months after exposure to heavy parasite loads. Symptoms may include fever of several weeks duration, headache, urticaria, cough, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, diarrhea, and eosinophilia. Hematuria and dysuria occur in some infections. Symptoms tend to gradually diminish over several months, but may intensify as more eggs are deposited. Chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis is a consequence of eggs retained in tissue and prolonged infection - usually > 10 years duration. The liver may be large or small and firm with nodularity. Portal hypertension, splenomegaly, or esophageal or gastric varices may occur. Hematemesis and splenomegaly are common presenting symptoms, with normal liver function. Periportal fibrosis and portal hypertension is associated with glomerulonephritis (proteinuria, renal failure) and pulmonary hypertension (cor pulmonale). Granulomatous tissue in the bowel results in bloody diarrhea. The last (chronic) stage varies according to species, with some species primarily affecting the liver and intestines, and one species affecting primarily the urinary tract. In general, patients with chronic schistosomiasis tend to present in developed countries with lethargy, colicky abdominal pain, mucoid/bloody diarrhea, or dysuria and hematuria. Salmonella infection concurrent with schistosomiasis is common and is resistant to treatment unless the schistosomiasis is also treated. Complications include progression of liver, kidney, or other organ dysfunction for many years after transmission has been interrupted - especially with heavy infection and re-exposure. Central nervous system lesions occur, but rarely. Treatment is according to species: For S. haematobium and S. mansoni, praziquantel 20/kg po bid for one day; for S. japonica and S. mekongi, praziquantel 20/kg po tid for one day are the treatments of choice. S. mansoni may also be treated with oxamniquine in a single po dose (with food) of 15 mg/kg. S. haematobium in North and East Africa may be treated with metrifonate 7.5-10 mg/kg every other week for a total of 3 doses.
Tapeworms and cysticercosis (Worldwide, but endemic in certain areas): Tapeworm or cestode infections result from the ingestion of Taeniasis sp. eggs, often found in undercooked meat or excreted proglottids (segments) of the adult tapeworm. Depending on the species, adult tapeworms reach a length of eight meters and live as long as 25 years. The beef tapeworm (Taeniasis saginata) usually causes gastrointestinal discomfort and weight loss. Awareness of infection often is through discovery of proglottids in the stool. Manifestations of intestinal infection with the pork tapeworm (Taeniasis solium) are similar to those of the beef tapeworm. However, ingestion of food that is fecally contaminated with T. solium eggs results in cysticercosis. The symptoms of cysticercosis are caused by the presence of cysticeri (encapsulated larvae) and the resulting inflammatory reaction or space-occupying lesions. The incubation period is as long as five years. Manifestions are most commonly varied neurologic problems, including fever, headache, CVA, hydrocephalus, seizures, and other symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Visual manifestations may be from increased intracranial pressure or a cyst in the eye. Cysts are also found in subcutaneous and muscle tissue. Treatment of intestinal tapeworms is with a single dose of praziquantel 5-10 mg/kg. Treatment of cysticercosis is with albendazole 5 mg/kg po tid for 8-30 days or praziquantel 20 mg/kg po tid for 14 days. Therapy may increase symptoms, in which case dexamethasone helps reduce distress. Also see echinococcosis and hymenolepiasis.
Trematodes (flukes): See schistosomiasis above or full discussion and see trematode infection by affected system below. Trematodes, biliary duct-dwelling cause diseases including clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis. (1) Clonorchiasis (China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and other areas of Asia) is a liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis) infection of the biliary tract following ingestion of raw or pickled fish. Symptoms include upper abdominal pain, irregular high fever, lymphadenopathy, myalgia, and arthralgia. The condition may be chronic and include intermittent fever, vague abdominal symptoms, anorexia, and fatigue. Eosinophilia is pronounced. Treatment is with praziquantel 25 mg/kg po tid for one day. (2) Opisthorchiasis (Eastern Europe and Russia; Thailand) is a liver fluke infection of the biliary tract following ingestion of raw or pickled fish. Most infected persons have no significant symptoms. If the parasite load is high, symptoms may include upper abdominal pain, feeling that something is moving in the liver, hepatomegaly with tenderness, jaundice, intermittent fever, lymphadenopathy, myalgia, and arthralgia. The condition may be chronic and include intermittent fever, vague abdominal symptoms, anorexia, and fatigue. Eosinophilia is pronounced. Treatment is with praziquantel 25 mg/kg po tid for one day.
Trichinosis (trichinella) (Worldwide): Trichinosis is a nematode (roundworm) infection with Trichinella sp. from ingestion of meat that contains cysts, especially undercooked pork or meat from a carnivore. Infection ranges from light and asymptomatic to heavy and life-threatening. Manifestations vary according to the life cycle of the worms: Initially there is malaise, nausea, cramping abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Gastrointestinal symptoms are followed in 1-6 weeks by fever, eosinophilia, periorbital and facial edema, conjunctivitis, dysphagia, dyspnea, cough, myalgia, and muscle spasms. Complications include meningitis and other neurological disorders, myocarditis, pneumonia, and nephritis. The current treatment of choice is mebendazole 300 mg po tid for 10 days (sometimes with prednisone to control symptoms).
Trypanosomiasis (African) or African sleeping sickness (Tropical Africa): Trypanosomiasis is caused by protozoal parasites, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiene or T b gambiense, transmitted by bite of the tsetse fly. T b rhodesiene infections are more virulent than T b gambiense; and in the former, patients experience three stages of illness (trypanosomal chancre, hemolymphatic, and meningoencephalitic) as opposed to two stages in the latter (trypanosomal chancre and meningoencephalitic) with significantly milder symptoms. The painful trypanosomal chancre (3-10 cm) appears about two days after the bite and lasts 2-4 weeks. The hemolymphatic stage is characterized by high fevers lasting several days, with symptom-free periods of days to weeks. Less common manifestations of this stage are severe headache, malaise, arthralgia, lymphadenopathy, circinate rash, pruritis, and hepatosplenomegaly. Weight loss and debilitation also occur, and myocarditis may develop. The meningoencephalitic stage is characterized by progressive apathy, nighttime insomnia and daytime somnolence, anorexia, retarded speech, extrapyramidal signs (tremors, fasciculations, choreiform movements, and Parkinsonian-like appearance), and finally, coma and death. Treatment is complex and toxic, and depends on the infecting organism and stage of illness. Among the medications currently in use are suramin, melarsoprol, pentamidine, eflornithine, and corticosteroids.
Typhus: See full discussion (numerous areas of the world as noted in discussion below): The typhus group of illnesses are one of several rickettsioses or febrile exanthematous illnesses caused by bites of rickettsial-infected arthropods or exposure to their feces. The three most important typhus group diseases are: epidemic louse-borne typhus, scrub typhus, and endemic (murine) typhus. (1) Epidemic louse-borne typhus is caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, with infection favored by crowded, unsanitary living conditions such as in concentration or the more primitive refugee camps - especially those in cold areas. Epidemic louse-borne typhus is currently most prevalent in mountainous areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is characterized by a prodrome of headache and constitutional symptoms; then the abrupt onset of high fever, chills, and prostration; then a macular rash progressing to maculopapular and petechial. Other common manifestations are delirium, conjunctival injection, photophobia, eye pain, flushed facies, hearing loss, hypotension, pulmonary involvement, renal insufficiency, and splenomegaly. Recovery may be spontaneous, or complications, including pneumonia, circulatory collapse, myocarditis, and uremia may lead to death. Treatment is with doxycycline 200 mg in a single dose or until the patient is afebrile for 24 hours. (2) Scrub typhus is transmitted by the bite of infected mites or chiggers, and is found in most areas of Asia. Scrub typhus illness ranges from mild to severe, and is characterized by gradual onset of fever, chills, headache, myalgia (backache), cough, nausea and abdominal pain, eschar at the site of the infecting bite, regional lymphadenopathy and a maculopapular rash. Severe scrub typhus is characterized by encephalitis and pneumonia. Scrub typhus is treated with doxycycline 100 mg bid po for 7-14 days; or chloramphenicol 500 mg qid po for 7-14 days. Azithromycin is also effective. (3) Endemic (murine) typhus is transmitted by the bite of infected fleas and is found worldwide. Endemic typhus is characterized by several days of prodromal constitutional symptoms, followed by the abrupt onset of fever, chills, and nausea and vomiting. Pulmonary involvement is common and may include interstitial pneumonia, pleural effusion, and/or pulmonary edema. Treatment is with doxycycline 100 mg bid po for 7-14 days; or chloramphenicol 500 mg qid po for 7-14 days.