Survival Guide - Chigoe Flea - National Geographic Video

Survival Guide - Chigoe Flea - National Geographic Video.

Tunga penetrans is hyperendemic in East Asia, India, and South America, where it originated, and in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it was introduced from South America in the late 19th century.

Tungiasis is caused by the penetration of the gravid female chigoe flea into the epidermis to feed on blood and tissue juices, usually on the feet and under the toenails or in the interdigital web spaces.

Management strategies for tungiasis include extracting all embedded fleas immediately with sterile needles or curettes, administering tetanus prophylaxis, and treating secondary wound infections with appropriate antibiotics. For heavy infestations with multiple lesions, oral therapy for 3 days with either thiabendazole or a single oral dose of niridazole (30 mg/kg) has been recommended.

References:

The Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Ectoparasitic Diseases in Travelers. James H. Diaz MD, Dr PH. Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 13, Issue 2, pages 100–111, March 2006.

Related reading:

How to Avoid Dog Bites -- It's National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Dogs are the most diverse mammal species on the planet (http://buff.ly/1pxxt0k). They can vary in weight from 6 lb (3kg) to 200 lb (90kg) when fully grown and have widely differing body shapes and hair types.

Not surprisingly, dog-bite injuries in children (head and neck) peak in warmer weather. The family pet is to blame in 27% of cases, and pit bulls are most commonly involved.

Dog bites are the third leading cause of emergency room visits for children, and the majority of those bites are from a dog known by the child. The ASPCA's Director of Anti-Cruelty Behavior Research Dr. Katherine Miller discusses How to Avoid Dog Bites in this WSJ video:



Pay attention to the dog's body language

Put a safe amount of space between yourself and a dog if you see the following signals, that the dog is uncomfortable and might feel the need to bite:

tensed body
stiff tail
pulled back head and/or ears
furrowed brow
eyes rolled so the whites are visible
yawning
flicking tongue
intense stare
backing away

What to do if you think a dog may attack

Resist the impulse to scream and run away.
Remain motionless, hands at your sides, and avoid eye contact with the dog.
Once the dog loses interest in you, slowly back away until he is out of sight.
If the dog does attack, "feed" him your jacket, purse, bicycle, or anything that you can put between yourself and the dog.
If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your ears and remain motionless. Try not to scream or roll around.

Here is a brief 3-minute summary from CNN with some practical tips how to prevent dog bites:



References:

How to Avoid a Dog Bite : The Humane Society of the United States http://buff.ly/1jTA6UO
How to avoid dog bites | Cesar Millan http://buff.ly/1gk2Gng
Dog-bite injuries in children peak in warm weather | Reuters http://buff.ly/1jTAhj4

The Colonoscopy Song - March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Peter Yarrow of the musical group Peter, Paul and Mary appeared on the CBS Early Show to sing a song he composed about his own colonoscopy:



In the video below, Dr. Paul Limburg, a Mayo Clinic Gastroenterologist, provides background on colorectal cancer and the screening methods:

Related reading:

Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Cancer Risk Assessment Tool. Get your score in 2 minutes (free).
Colon cancer and colonoscopy - Cleveland Clinic YouTube playlist 
Dr. Oz Has Colon Cancer Scare During Taping of His Colonoscopy for the TV Show http://goo.gl/F4CX

Fear was the No. 1 reason people gave to explain why they hadn’t gone in for a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer. NYTimes.

Get your colonoscopy in the morning - each hour brings a 4% reduction in the number of polyps the doctors spotted http://goo.gl/2FGQt

Dr. Oz: What I Learned from My Colon Cancer Scare http://goo.gl/q7rjD
Colonoscopy Developer Dies at 94 - NYTimes http://goo.gl/iBnOp - Dr. Wolff was unconventional and surely made headlines in his day.

First Gunshot Victim in the New World - National Geographic Video

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered the 500-year-old skeleton of a man who died from a gunshot wound. Experts believe he's the first shooting victim in the New World.