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Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is a tick-borne, infectious disease caused by ''Anaplasma phagocytophilum'', an obligate intracellular bacterium that is typically transmitted to humans by ticks of the ''Ixodes ricinus'' species complex, including ''Ixodes scapularis'' and ''Ixodes pacificus'' in North America. These ticks also transmit Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The bacteria infect white blood cells called neutrophils, causing changes in gene expression that prolong the life of these otherwise short-lived cells. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms may include: * fever * severe headache * muscle aches (myalgia) * chills and shaking, similar to the symptoms of influenza * nausea * vomiting * loss of appetite * unintentional weight loss * abdominal pain * cough * diarrhea, * aching joints * sensitivity to light * weakness * fatigue * change in mental status (extreme confusion, memory loss, inability to comprehend environment- interaction, reading, etc.) * te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tick-borne Disease
Tick-borne diseases, which afflict humans and other animals, are caused by infectious agents transmitted by tick bites. They are caused by infection with a variety of pathogens, including rickettsia and other types of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. The economic impact of tick-borne diseases is considered to be substantial in humans, and tick-borne diseases are estimated to affect ~80 % of cattle worldwide. 18 tick-borne pathogens have been identified in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and at least 27 are known globally. New tick-borne diseases have been discovered in the 21st century, due in part to the use of molecular assays and next-generation sequencing. The occurrence of ticks and tick-borne illnesses in humans is increasing. Tick populations are spreading into new areas, in part due to climate change. Tick populations are also affected by changes in the populations of their hosts (e.g. deer, cattle, mice, lizards) and those hosts' p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leukopenia
Leukopenia () is a decrease in the number of leukocytes (WBC). Found in the blood, they are the white blood cells, and are the body's primary defense against an infection. Thus the condition of leukopenia places individuals at increased risk of infection. Signs and symptoms Symptoms may include: * skin or mouth ulcers * sore throat * cough * difficulty in breathing * light-headedness * fever * chills * body aches. Leukopenia vs. neutropenia Neutropenia, a subtype of leukopenia, refers to a decrease in the number of circulating neutrophil granulocytes, the most abundant white blood cells. The terms ''leukopenia'' and ''neutropenia'' may occasionally be used interchangeably, as the neutrophil count is the most important indicator of infection risk. Agranulocytosis is an acute form of neutropenia. Causes Medical conditions Low white cell count may be due to acute viral infections, such as a cold or influenza. It has been associated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, myelofibr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doxycycline
Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum tetracycline class antibiotic used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and certain parasites. It is used to treat bacterial pneumonia, acne, chlamydia infections, Lyme disease, cholera, typhus, and syphilis. It is also used to prevent malaria in combination with quinine. Doxycycline may be taken by mouth or by injection into a vein. Common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an increased risk of sunburn. Use during pregnancy is not recommended. Like other agents of the tetracycline class, it either slows or kills bacteria by inhibiting protein production. It kills malaria by targeting a plastid organelle, the apicoplast. Doxycycline was patented in 1957 and came into commercial use in 1967. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Doxycycline is available as a generic medicine. In 2020, it was the 79th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymerase Chain Reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete or partial) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) to a large enough amount to study in detail. PCR was invented in 1983 by the American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation; Mullis and biochemist Michael Smith (chemist), Michael Smith, who had developed other essential ways of manipulating DNA, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. PCR is fundamental to many of the procedures used in genetic testing and research, including analysis of Ancient DNA, ancient samples of DNA and identification of infectious agents. Using PCR, copies of very small amounts of DNA sequences are exponentially amplified in a series of cycles of temperature changes. PCR is now a common and often indispensable technique used in medical laboratory research for a broad variety of applications ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ehrlichia Chaffeensis
''Ehrlichia chaffeensis'' is an obligate intracellular, Gram-negative species of Rickettsiales bacteria. It is a zoonotic pathogen transmitted to humans by the Amblyomma americanum, lone star tick (''Amblyomma americanum''). It is the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Genetic studies support the endosymbiotic theory that a subset of these organisms evolved to live inside mammalian cells as mitochondria to provide cellular energy to the cells in return for protection and sustenance. ATP production in the rickettsiae is biochemically identical to that in mammalian mitochondria; all multi-cellular eukaryotes have mitochondria in their cells, including birds, fish, reptiles, invertebrates, plants, and fungi in addition to mammals. Human monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by ''E. chaffeensis'' is known to spread through tick infection primarily in the Southern, South-central and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. In recent years, the lone star tick has expanded i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis
Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis is a form of ehrlichiosis associated with '' Ehrlichia chaffeensis''. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular pathogen affecting monocytes and macrophages. Symptom and signs The most common symptoms are fever, headache, malaise, and muscle aches (myalgia). Compared to human granulocytic anaplasmosis, rash is more common. Laboratory abnormalities include thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and elevated liver tests. The severity of the illness can range from minor or asymptomatic to life-threatening. CNS involvement may occur. A serious septic or toxic shock-like picture can also develop, especially in patients with impaired immunity. Cause This disease is known to be caused by tick bites. Diagnosis Tick exposure is often overlooked. For patients living in high-prevalence areas who spend time outdoors, a high degree of clinical suspicion should be employed. Ehrlichia serologies can be negative in the acute period. Polymerase chain react ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emerging Infectious Diseases
''Emerging Infectious Diseases'' (EID) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). EID is a public domain journal and covers global instances of new and reemerging infectious diseases, putting greater emphasis on disease emergence, prevention, control, and elimination. According to Journal Citation Reports, the journal's 2016 impact factor is 6.99, ranking it 4th out of 82 journals in the infectious disease category. The journal also has a 2016 Google Scholar h5-index score of 79, ranking it 2nd in both the epidemiology category and among open-access epidemiological journals, as well as 4th in the communicable diseases category and 1st among open-access communicable disease journals. Abstracting and Indexing The journal is indexed in PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded, and Scopus. The journal has a 2021 impact factor The impact factor (IF) or journal impact factor (JIF) of an aca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood Transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but modern medical practice commonly uses only components of the blood, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, clotting factors and platelets. Red blood cells (RBC) contain hemoglobin, and supply the cells of the body with oxygen. White blood cells are not commonly used during transfusion, but they are part of the immune system, and also fight infections. Plasma is the "yellowish" liquid part of blood, which acts as a buffer, and contains proteins and important substances needed for the body's overall health. Platelets are involved in blood clotting, preventing the body from bleeding. Before these components were known, doctors believed that blood was homogeneous. Because of this scientific misunderstanding, many patients died b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tick-borne Meningoencephalitis
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infectious disease involving the central nervous system. The disease most often manifests as meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis. Myelitis and spinal paralysis also occurs. In about one third of cases sequelae, predominantly cognitive dysfunction, persists for a year or more. The number of reported cases has been increasing in most countries. TBE is posing a concerning health challenge to Europe, as the number of reported human cases of TBE in all endemic regions of Europe have increased by almost 400% within the last three decades. The tick-borne encephalitis virus is known to infect a range of hosts including ruminants, birds, rodents, carnivores, horses, and humans. The disease can also be spread from animals to humans, with ruminants and dogs providing the principal source of infection for humans. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Babesiosis
Babesiosis or piroplasmosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with a eukaryotic parasite in the order Piroplasmida, typically a ''Babesia'' or ''Theileria'', in the phylum Apicomplexa. Human babesiosis transmission via tick bite is most common in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and parts of Europe, and sporadic throughout the rest of the world. It occurs in warm weather. People can get infected with ''Babesia'' parasites by the bite of an infected tick, by getting a blood transfusion from an infected donor of blood products, or by congenital transmission (an infected mother to her baby). Ticks transmit the human strain of babesiosis, so it often presents with other tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease. After trypanosomes, ''Babesia'' is thought to be the second-most common blood parasite of mammals. They can have major adverse effects on the health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. In cattle the disease is known as T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ixodes
''Ixodes'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks (family Ixodidae). It includes important disease vectors of animals and humans (tick-borne disease), and some species (notably ''Ixodes holocyclus'') inject toxins that can cause paralysis. Some ticks in this genus may transmit the pathogenic bacterium ''Borrelia burgdorferi'' responsible for causing Lyme disease. Additional organisms that may be transmitted by ''Ixodes'' are parasites from the genus ''Babesia'', which cause babesiosis, and bacteria from the related genus ''Anaplasma'', which cause anaplasmosis. Species These species are recognised within the genus ''Ixodes'': *''Ixodes abrocomae'' Lahille, 1917 *''Ixodes acer'' Apanaskevich & Schenk, 2020 *''Ixodes acuminatus'' Neumann, 1901 *''Ixodes acutitarsus'' (Karsch, 1880) *''Ixodes affinis'' Neumann, 1899 *''Ixodes albignaci'' Uilenberg & Hoogstraal, 1969 *''Ixodes alluaudi'' Neumann, 1913 *'' Ixodes amarali'' Fonseca, 1935 *'' Ixodes amersoni'' Kohls, 1966 *'' Ixodes anat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kidney Failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as either acute kidney failure, which develops rapidly and may resolve; and chronic kidney failure, which develops slowly and can often be irreversible. Symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vomiting, loss of appetite, and confusion. Complications of acute and chronic failure include uremia, high blood potassium, and volume overload. Complications of chronic failure also include heart disease, high blood pressure, and anemia. Causes of acute kidney failure include low blood pressure, blockage of the urinary tract, certain medications, muscle breakdown, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Causes of chronic kidney failure include diabetes, high blood pressure, nephrotic syndrome, and polycystic kidney disease. Diagnosis of acute failure ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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