There are many patients who have been treated for dermatology for 5 years, 10 years but have not been cured. Later, when the patient was transferred to Dang Van Ngu hospital for examination, it was discovered that he was infected with parasites from dogs and cats.
Some patients thought they had a skin disease, atopic dermatitis, with symptoms of frequent severe itching and sores all over the body. They had to undergo dermatological treatment for more than ten years before they realized they had been infected with dog or cat roundworms from their pets.
Dr. Tran Huy Tho - Permanent Deputy Director of Dang Van Ngu Hospital (under the Central Institute of Malaria, Parasitology and Entomology) said that most people, when they have itching, subconsciously think of skin diseases and go to see dermatologists, allergy specialists, and immunologists, but the treatment does not improve the condition.
Notably, many patients have been treated for dermatological diseases for up to 5 years, 10 years but have not been cured. After that, the patient was transferred to Dang Van Ngu hospital for examination and discovered to be infected with parasites from dogs and cats.
10 years without finding the disease
Patient NVH (32 years old, Hanoi) came to Dang Van Ngu Hospital (under the Central Institute of Malaria, Parasitology and Entomology) for examination with many scratched and infected skin patches and many squiggly marks like crawling worms.
Mr. H. said he was often tormented by severe itching and had visited dermatology hospitals and taken allergy medication for more than ten years but the disease had not been completely cured.
“I always carry a bottle of allergy medicine with me. When I feel itchy, I have to take it right away, but it only relieves the itch, not cures it completely. I feel very annoyed about this disease,” said Mr. H.
Dr. Tran Huy Tho said that the test showed that patient H. had a positive Elisa index for roundworms of dogs and cats and had allergic symptoms on the skin. The patient was given specific medication to reduce the development of larvae and itching symptoms.
Patient H. said he loves dogs and has raised dogs for more than ten years and did not think that his illness was transmitted from his pet.
Analyzing the case of patient H., according to Dr. Tho, after each time using anti-allergy medication, the patient's itching symptoms were reduced but the cause of the disease, which was infection with roundworm larvae of dogs and cats, was not completely treated. After a period of treatment at Dang Van Ngu Hospital, Mr. H.'s itching was completely reduced but he still had to return for a check-up as well as to evaluate the level of response to treatment.
Another case that is also being treated at Dang Van Ngu Hospital is Ms. PTD (40 years old, Hung Yen). Ms. D. came to the hospital with frequent itching and many scratches on her skin. Every time she itched, Ms. D. scratched, causing many lesions on her skin, causing scratches on her hands and feet.
Ms. D. said she has been suffering from this itch for 5 years now, has visited many dermatologists, and used many types of medicine but the condition has not improved. Ms. D. said she likes cats so she has raised 2 long-haired cats for the past 5 years.
After examination and testing, doctors at Dang Van Ngu Hospital diagnosed Ms. D. with a parasitic infection.
Ms. D. said that currently, after a course of treatment at Dang Van Ngu Hospital, her itching episodes have gradually decreased.
Easily mistaken for skin disease, allergy
According to Dr. Tho, many people now keep pets and have the habit of playing with and sleeping with dogs and cats, and consider domestic animals as close friends. This is a relatively high potential risk of infection with roundworms from dogs and cats. People infected with roundworms and hookworms from dogs and cats often go to the hospital with severe itching, skin lesions and infections for many years and have been examined and treated at a number of hospitals specializing in dermatology and clinical immunology, but the disease has not improved.
When itching, patients will scratch and damage many areas of skin, because they are not always aware that when itching, they have to run to wash their hands before scratching. Dirty fingernails are an environment for bacteria to enter the body when scratching.
According to Dr. Tho, people infected with roundworm larvae, tapeworms, strongyloides, flukes, and worms often suffer from severe itching. After one or two courses of treatment, many patients have reduced itching symptoms and can return to their normal daily activities.
Dog and cat roundworms are only parasites of dogs and cats. When entering the human body, there will be no reproductive cycle, so it is impossible to find eggs or larvae of dog and cat roundworms in human feces, but only to find antibodies of dog and cat roundworms in the patient's blood along with some increased eosinophil indexes plus clinical symptoms to diagnose the disease. The treatment regimen for patients infected with dog and cat roundworm larvae is built according to the hospital's protocol approved by the Ministry of Health.
According to Dr. Tho, itching is not life-threatening but causes discomfort in daily life. Many patients said they always have to carry a box of allergy medicine with them, and take it immediately when they feel itchy.
To avoid being infected with roundworm larvae from dogs and cats, Dr. Tho recommends that people should not eat, sleep with, hug or kiss dogs and cats, should keep their pets clean, and should dispose of and clean their food bowls and waste. People should regularly deworm their pets to reduce the risk of transmitting roundworm larvae from pets to humans, because they are at high risk of parasitic infections./.
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