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Section 3. Summaries of Infectious Diseases
Parasitic Diseases
Many parasitic diseases traditionally have been considered exotic and, therefore, frequently are not included in differential diagnoses of patients in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Nevertheless, a number of these organisms are endemic in industrialized countries, and overall, parasites are among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in various and diverse geographic locations worldwide. Outside the tropics and subtropics, parasitic diseases particularly are common among tourists returning to their own countries, immigrants from areas with highly endemic infection, and immunocompromised people. Physicians and clinical laboratory personnel need to be aware of where these infections may be acquired, their clinical presentations, and methods of diagnosis and should advise travelers how to prevent infection. Table 3.40 (p 488) gives details on some infrequently encountered parasitic diseases.
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View this table: [in a new window] | Table 3.40. Additional Parasitic Diseasesa |
Consultation and assistance in diagnosis and management of parasitic diseases are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health departments, and university departments or divisions of geographic medicine, tropical medicine, pediatric infectious disease, international health, and public health.
The CDC distributes several drugs that are not available commercially in the United States for treatment of parasitic diseases. These drugs are indicated by footnotes in Table 4.11, Manufacturers of Some Antiparasitic Drugs (p 814). To request these drugs, a physician must contact the CDC Drug Service (see Appendix I, Directory of Resources, p 831) and provide the following information: (1) the physician’s name, address, and telephone number; (2) the type of infection to be treated and the method by which the infection was diagnosed; (3) the patient’s name, age, weight, sex, and if the patient is female, whether she is pregnant; and (4) basic
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