Tungiasis is a neglected ectoparasitism of impoverished areas in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The sand flea Tunga spp. preferably infests the soles and the periungueal and interdigital regions of the feet. Ectopic tungiasis is rare, even in highly endemic areas. We describe a case of an indigenous patient in Peru who presented with a nodular lesion in the extensor aspect of the knee and whose biopsy was compatible with Tunga spp. This is the first documented case of knee tungiasis in an endemic country. The historical, clinical, histological, and current epidemiological aspects of tungiasis in Peru are discussed here.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2877413 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2010.10-0031 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Use of sarolaner in the treatment of tungiasis in naturally infested dogs.
Braz J Vet Med
March 2024
Veterinarian, DSc. DMCV, IV, UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
Article Synopsis
- - Tungiasis is a skin infection caused by sand fleas in Latin America, leading to severe discomfort and potential complications like infections and tissue damage.
- - The study tested the oral medication sarolaner on four dogs infested with sand fleas, with three receiving a dose and one remaining untreated.
- - Results showed that medicated dogs stayed flea-free while the untreated dog had fleas, indicating sarolaner is an effective treatment option for tungiasis in dogs.
Efficacy of an oral formulation of afoxolaner and milbemycin oxime against Tunga penetrans in naturally infected dogs.
Parasit Vectors
December 2023
Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Campus Soane Nazaré de Andrade, Rod. Jorge Amado, Km 16 - Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil.
Background: The sand flea Tunga penetrans is one of the agents of tungiasis, an important parasitic skin disease affecting humans and several mammalian species. Tungiasis is mainly observed in disadvantaged rural and peripheral urban communities in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. The dog is a major reservoir of Tunga fleas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTungiasis: Participation of Cats and Chickens in the Dispersion and Maintenance of the Disease in an Endemic Tourist Area in Brazil.
Trop Med Infect Dis
September 2023
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal-PPGCA, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais (DCAA), Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus 45662-900, Bahia, Brazil.
Article Synopsis
- Fleas causing tungiasis are prevalent in Vila Juerana, Brazil, where domestic dogs are the primary hosts, but the role of cats and chickens in this context is unclear.
- A survey of 272 households found that a significant portion had domestic animals, with cohabiting cats and dogs often being infected, while the prevalence of tungiasis in chickens was very low.
- The study highlights that the presence of infected dogs increases the risk of tungiasis in cats, making them significant carriers in the community, while chickens show minimal involvement in the transmission of the disease.
Tungiasis in domestic, wild, and synanthropic animals in Brazil.
Acta Trop
October 2021
Postgraduate Program in Public Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, CEP 60.430-140, Brazil. Electronic address:
Tungiasis is an ectoparasitic skin disease of humans and warm-blooded animals caused by fleas of the genus Tunga (Jarocki, 1938). Dogs, cats, pigs, and synanthropic rodents are the main animal reservoirs. Of the 14 known species, 12 are found in Latin America and, among these, eight are found in Brazil, including the two zoonotic species Tunga penetrans and Tunga trimamillata.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCase Report: Evidence of Tungiasis in the Amazon Rain Forest of Ecuador.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
July 2021
2Fundación Misión Cristiana de Salud, Shell, Pastaza, Ecuador.
Tungiasis occurs in tropical and subtropical areas in Central and South America and sub-Saharan Africa and is a Neglected Tropical Disease. We diagnosed three cases of tungiasis in a Dutch family visiting indigenous communities in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. Eight days after returning, they presented papular, pruritic, and painful lesions on the feet, with a whitish halo and a blackish central point with abundant whitish eggs upon extraction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!