sarnsrun/medquad huggingface dataset:
Topic: Parasites - Scabies
Question: How to prevent Parasites - Scabies ?
Answer: When a person is infested with scabies mites the first time, symptoms may not appear for up to two months after being infested. However, an infested person can transmit scabies, even if they do not have symptoms. Scabies usually is passed by direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact with an infested person. However, a person with crusted (Norwegian) scabies can spread the infestation by brief skin-to-skin contact or by exposure to bedding, clothing, or even furniture that he/she has used.
    
Scabies is prevented by avoiding direct skin-to-skin contact with an infested person or with items such as clothing or bedding used by an infested person. Scabies treatment usually is recommended for members of the same household, particularly for those who have had prolonged skin-to-skin contact. All household members and other potentially exposed persons should be treated at the same time as the infested person to prevent possible reexposure and reinfestation. Bedding and clothing worn or used next to the skin anytime during the 3 days before treatment should be machine washed and dried using the hot water and hot dryer cycles or be dry-cleaned. Items that cannot be dry-cleaned or laundered can be disinfested by storing in a closed plastic bag for several days to a week. Scabies mites generally do not survive more than 2 to 3 days away from human skin. Children and adults usually can return to child care, school, or work the day after treatment.
    
Persons with crusted scabies and their close contacts, including household members, should be treated rapidly and aggressively to avoid outbreaks. Institutional outbreaks can be difficult to control and require a rapid, aggressive, and sustained response.
    
Rooms used by a patient with crusted scabies should be thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed after use. Environmental disinfestation using pesticide sprays or fogs generally is unnecessary and is discouraged.
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection)
Question: What is (are) Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection) ?
Answer: Whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) is an intestinal parasite of humans. The larvae and adult worms live in the intestine of humans and can cause intestinal disease. The name is derived from the worm’s distinctive whip-like shape.
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection)
Question: Who is at risk for Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection)? ?
Answer: Whipworm is a soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and is the third most common roundworm of humans. Whipworm causes an infection called trichuriasis and often occurs in areas where human feces is used as fertilizer or where defecation onto soil happens. The worms are spread from person to person by fecal-oral transmission or through feces-contaminated food.
    Geographic Distribution
Worldwide, infection occurs more frequently in areas with tropical weather and poor sanitation practices, and among children. In 2002, the estimated number of persons infected with whipworm was 1 billion. Trichuriasis also occurs in the southern United States.
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection)
Question: How to diagnose Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection) ?
Answer: The standard method for diagnosing the presence of whipworm is by microscopically identifying whipworm eggs in a stool sample. Because eggs may be difficult to find in light infections, a concentration procedure is recommended.
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection)
Question: What are the treatments for Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection) ?
Answer: Anthelminthic medications (drugs that rid the body of parasitic worms), such as albendazole and mebendazole, are the drugs of choice for treatment. Infections are generally treated for 3 days. The recommended medications are effective. Health care providers may decide to repeat a stool exam after treatment. Iron supplements may also be prescribed if the infected person suffers from anemia.
    
More on: Resources for Health Professionals: Treatment
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection)
Question: How to prevent Parasites - Trichuriasis (also known as Whipworm Infection) ?
Answer: The best way to prevent whipworm infection is to always:
    
     - Avoid ingesting soil that may be contaminated with human feces, including where human fecal matter ("night soil") or wastewater is used to fertilize crops.
     - Wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling food.
     - Teach children the importance of washing hands to prevent infection.
     - Wash, peel, or cook all raw vegetables and fruits before eating, particularly those that have been grown in soil that has been fertilized with manure.
    
    
More on: Handwashing
    
Transmission of infection to others can be prevented by
    
     - Not defecating outdoors.
     - Effective sewage disposal systems.
Source: CDC
Topic: Anaplasmosis
Question: What is (are) Anaplasmosis ?
Answer: More detailed information on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of anaplasmosis is available in Diagnosis and Management of Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichioses, and Anaplasmosis – United States.
*Case definitions have been updated since publication 
 How to Contact the Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch at CDC 
 
The general public and healthcare providers should first call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) for questions regarding RMSF and other rickettsial diseases. If a consultation with a CDC scientist specializing in rickettsial diseases is advised, your call will be appropriately forwarded. 
 Case Definitions 
 
2008 Case Definition 
 Case Report Forms 
 
For confirmed and probable cases of anaplasmosis that have been identified and reported through the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, states are also encouraged to submit additional information using the CDC Case Report Form (CRF). This form collects additional important information that routine electronic reporting does not, such as information on how the diagnosis was made, and whether the patient was hospitalized or died. If a different state-specific form is already used to collect this information, this information may be submitted to CDC in lieu of a CRF. 
 
2010 CDC Case Report Form: Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases (2010 version) [PDF – 3 pages] 
 How to Submit Specimens to CDC for RMSF Testing 
 
Private citizens may not directly submit specimens to CDC for testing. If you feel that diagnostic testing is necessary, consult your healthcare provider or state health department. 
 State Health Departments 
 
Specimens may be submitted to CDC for testing for anaplasmosis. To coordinate specimen submission, please call 404-639-1075 during business hours (8:00 - 4:30 ET). 
 U.S. Healthcare Providers: 
 
U.S. healthcare providers should not submit specimens for testing directly to CDC. CDC policy requires that specimens for testing be submitted through or with the approval of the state health department. Please contact your state health department, who will assist you with specimen submission and reporting of infection. For general questions about anaplasmosis, please call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). If you have questions about a suspect ehrlichiosis case, please first consult your state health department. Healthcare providers requiring an epidemiologic or laboratory consultation on anaplasmosis may also call 404-639-1075 during business hours (8:00 - 4:30 ET). Or 770-488-7100 after hours. 
 Non U.S. Healthcare Providers: 
 
Non-U.S. healthcare providers should consult CDC prior to submitting specimens for testing. For general questions about anaplasmosis, please call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). If you would like to discuss a suspect anaplasmosis case with CDC, please call 404-639-1075 during business hours (8:00 - 4:30 ET), or 770-488-7100 after hours.
Source: CDC
Topic: Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Question: Who is at risk for Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)? ?
Answer: Transmission of AHFV is not well understood. AHFV is a zoonotic virus, and its described tick hosts (the soft tick Ornithodoros savignyi and the hard tick Hyalomma dromedari) are widely distributed. People can become infected through a tick bite or when crushing infected ticks. Epidemiologic studies indicate that contact with domestic animals or livestock may increase the risk of human infection. No human-to-human transmission of AHF has been documented. 
 
Although livestock animals may provide blood meals for ticks, it is thought that they play a minor role in transmitting AHFV to humans. No transmission through non-pasteurized milk has been described, although other tick-borne flaviviruses have been transmitted to humans through this route.
Source: CDC
Topic: Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Question: What are the symptoms of Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF) ?
Answer: Based on limited information, after an incubation period that could be as short as 2-4 days, the disease presents initially with non-specific flu-like symptoms, including fever, anorexia (loss of appetite), general malaise, diarrhea, and vomiting; a second phase has appeared in some patients, and includes neurologic and hemorrhagic symptoms in severe form. Multi-organ failure precedes fatal outcomes. No repeated or chronic symptoms have been reported following recovery. Evidence suggests that a milder form may exist, where hospitalization is not required. 
                
Thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and elevated liver enzymes are nearly always observed in patients who have been hospitalized.
Source: CDC
Topic: Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Question: Who is at risk for Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)? ?
Answer: Contact with  livestock with tick exposure are risk factors for humans, as is contact with infected ticks, whether through crushing the infected tick with unprotected fingers or by a bite from an infected tick. Slaughtering of animals which may acutely but asymptomatically infected may also be a risk factor, as it is possible that infected animals develop a viremia without obvious clinical signs.
Source: CDC
Topic: Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Question: How to diagnose Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF) ?
Answer: Clinical diagnosis could be difficult due to similarities between AVHF, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), and Rift Valley fever (RVF), which occur in similar geographic areas. Laboratory diagnosis of AHF can be made in the early stage of the illness by molecular detection by PCR or virus isolation from blood. Later, serologic testing using enzyme-linked immunosorbent serologic assay (ELISA) can be performed.
Source: CDC
Topic: Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Question: What are the treatments for Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF) ?
Answer: There is no standard specific treatment for the disease. Patients receive supportive therapy, which consists of balancing the patient’s fluid and electrolytes, maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure, and treatment for any complications. Mortality in hospitalized patients ranges from 1-20%.
Source: CDC
Topic: Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Question: How to prevent Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF) ?
Answer: Given that no treatment or specific prophylaxis is presently available, prevention and increased awareness of AHFV are the only recommended measures. Complete control of ticks and interruption of the virus life cycle is impractical; in endemic regions, it is important to avoid tick-infested areas and to limit contact with livestock and domestic animals.  
                
Individuals should use tick repellants on skin and clothes and check skin for attached ticks, removing them as soon as possible. Tick collars are available for domestic animals, and dipping in acaricides is effective in killing ticks on livestock. People working with animals or animal products in farms or slaughterhouses should avoid unprotected contact with the blood, fluids, or tissues of any potentially infected or viremic animals.
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Leishmaniasis
Question: What is (are) Parasites - Leishmaniasis ?
Answer: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is found in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with Leishmania parasites, which are spread by the bite of infected sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis in people. The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects several internal organs (usually spleen, liver, and bone marrow).
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Leishmaniasis
Question: Who is at risk for Parasites - Leishmaniasis? ?
Answer: Leishmaniasis is found in people in focal areas of more than 90 countries in the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. The ecologic settings range from rain forests to deserts. Leishmaniasis usually is more common in rural than in urban areas, but it is found in the outskirts of some cities. Climate and other environmental changes have the potential to expand the geographic range of the sand fly vectors and the areas in the world where leishmaniasis is found.
    
Leishmaniasis is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
    
     - In the Old World (the Eastern Hemisphere), leishmaniasis is found in some parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa (particularly in the tropical region and North Africa, with some cases elsewhere), and southern Europe. It is not found in Australia or the Pacific islands.
     - In the New World (the Western Hemisphere), it is found in some parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is not found in Chile or Uruguay. Occasional cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis have been acquired in Texas and Oklahoma.
    
    
The number of new cases per year is not known with certainty. For cutaneous leishmaniasis, estimates of the number of cases range from approximately 0.7 million (700,000) to 1.2 million (1,200,000). For visceral leishmaniasis, estimates of the number of cases range from approximately 0.2 million (200,000) to 0.4 million (400,000). The cases of leishmaniasis evaluated in the United States reflect travel and immigration patterns. For example, many of the cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in U.S. civilian travelers have been acquired in common tourist destinations in Latin America, such as in Costa Rica.
    
Overall, infection in people is caused by more than 20 species (types) of Leishmania parasites, which are spread by about 30 species of phlebotomine sand flies; particular species of the parasite are spread by particular sand flies. The sand fly vectors generally are the most active during twilight, evening, and night-time hours (from dusk to dawn).
    
In many geographic areas where leishmaniasis is found in people, infected people are not needed to maintain the transmission cycle of the parasite in nature; infected animals (such as rodents or dogs), along with sand flies, maintain the cycle. However, in some parts of the world, infected people are needed to maintain the cycle; this type of transmission (human—sand fly—human) is called anthroponotic. In areas with anthroponotic transmission, effective treatment of individual patients can help control the spread of the parasite.
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Leishmaniasis
Question: How to diagnose Parasites - Leishmaniasis ?
Answer: Various laboratory methods can be used to diagnose leishmaniasis—to detect the parasite as well as to identify the Leishmania species (type). Some of the methods are available only in reference laboratories. In the United States, CDC staff can assist with the testing for leishmaniasis.
    
Tissue specimens—such as from skin sores (for cutaneous leishmaniasis) or from bone marrow (for visceral leishmaniasis)—can be examined for the parasite under a microscope, in special cultures, and in other ways. Blood tests that detect antibody (an immune response) to the parasite can be helpful for cases of visceral leishmaniasis; tests to look for the parasite itself usually also are done.
    
More on: Resources for Health Professionals: Diagnosis
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Leishmaniasis
Question: What are the treatments for Parasites - Leishmaniasis ?
Answer: Before considering treatment, the first step is to make sure the diagnosis is correct.
    
Treatment decisions should be individualized. Health care providers may consult CDC staff about the relative merits of various approaches. Examples of factors to consider include the form of leishmaniasis, the Leishmania species that caused it, the potential severity of the case, and the patient's underlying health.
    
The skin sores of cutaneous leishmaniasis usually heal on their own, even without treatment. But this can take months or even years, and the sores can leave ugly scars. Another potential concern applies to some (not all) types of the parasite found in parts of Latin America: certain types might spread from the skin and cause sores in the mucous membranes of the nose (most common location), mouth, or throat (mucosal leishmaniasis). Mucosal leishmaniasis might not be noticed until years after the original sores healed. The best way to prevent mucosal leishmaniasis is to ensure adequate treatment of the cutaneous infection.
    
If not treated, severe (advanced) cases of visceral leishmaniasis typically are fatal.
    
More on: Resources for Health Professionals: Treatment
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - Leishmaniasis
Question: How to prevent Parasites - Leishmaniasis ?
Answer: No vaccines or drugs to prevent infection are available. The best way for travelers to prevent infection is to protect themselves from sand fly bites. To decrease the risk of being bitten, follow these preventive measures:
    
Avoid outdoor activities, especially from dusk to dawn, when sand flies generally are the most active.
    
When outdoors (or in unprotected quarters):
    
     - Minimize the amount of exposed (uncovered) skin. To the extent that is tolerable in the climate, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks; and tuck your shirt into your pants. (See below about wearing insecticide-treated clothing.)
     - Apply insect repellent to exposed skin and under the ends of sleeves and pant legs. Follow the instructions on the label of the repellent. The most effective repellents generally are those that contain the chemical DEET (N,N-diethylmetatoluamide).
    
    
     
       
       
        
         
          
         
        
        
        
      
     
    
    
When indoors:
    
     - Stay in well-screened or air-conditioned areas.
     - Keep in mind that sand flies are much smaller than mosquitoes and therefore can get through smaller holes.
     - Spray living/sleeping areas with an insecticide to kill insects.
     - If you are not sleeping in a well-screened or air-conditioned area, use a bed net and tuck it under your mattress. If possible, use a bed net that has been soaked in or sprayed with a pyrethroid-containing insecticide. The same treatment can be applied to screens, curtains, sheets, and clothing (clothing should be retreated after five washings).
    
    
More on: Insect Bite Prevention
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - African Trypanosomiasis (also known as Sleeping Sickness)
Question: What is (are) Parasites - African Trypanosomiasis (also known as Sleeping Sickness) ?
Answer: Frequently Asked Queestions (FAQs)
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - African Trypanosomiasis (also known as Sleeping Sickness)
Question: How to diagnose Parasites - African Trypanosomiasis (also known as Sleeping Sickness) ?
Answer: The diagnosis of African Trypanosomiasis is made through laboratory methods, because the clinical features of infection are not sufficiently specific. The diagnosis rests on finding the parasite in body fluid or tissue by microscopy. The parasite load in T. b. rhodesiense infection is substantially higher than the level in T. b. gambiense infection.
    
T. b. rhodesiense parasites can easily be found in blood. They can also be found in lymph node fluid or in fluid or biopsy of a chancre. Serologic testing is not widely available and is not used in the diagnosis, since microscopic detection of the parasite is straightforward.
    
The classic method for diagnosing T. b. gambiense infection is by microscopic examination of lymph node aspirate, usually from a posterior cervical node. It is often difficult to detect T. b. gambiense in blood. Concentration techniques and serial examinations are frequently needed. Serologic testing is available outside the U.S. for T. b. gambiense; however, it normally is used for screening purposes only and the definitive diagnosis rests on microscopic observation of the parasite.
    
All patients diagnosed with African trypanosomiasis must have their cerebrospinal fluid examined to determine whether there is involvement of the central nervous system, since the choice of treatment drug(s) will depend on the disease stage. The World Health Organization criteria for central nervous system involvement include increased protein in cerebrospinal fluid and a white cell count of more than 5. Trypanosomes can often be observed in cerebrospinal fluid in persons with second stage infection.
    
More on: Resources for Health Professionals: Diagnosis
Source: CDC
Topic: Parasites - African Trypanosomiasis (also known as Sleeping Sickness)
Question: What are the treatments for Parasites - African Trypanosomiasis (also known as Sleeping Sickness) ?
Answer: All persons diagnosed with African Trypanosomiasis should receive treatment. The specific drug and treatment course will depend on the type of infection (T. b. gambiense or T. b. rhodesiense) and the disease stage (i.e. whether the central nervous system has been invaded by the parasite). Pentamidine, which is the recommended drug for first stage T. b. gambiense infection, is widely available in the U.S. The other drugs (suramin, melarsoprol, eflornithine, and nifurtimox) used to treat African trypanosomiasis are available in the U.S. only from the CDC. Physicians can consult with CDC staff for advice on diagnosis and management and to obtain otherwise unavailable treatment drug.
    
There is no test of cure for African trypanosomiasis. After treatment patients need to have serial examinations of their cerebrospinal fluid for 2 years, so that relapse can be detected if it occurs.
    
More on: Resources for Health Professionals: Treatment
Source: CDC