DermHelpCentral

Lyme Tick Geography

This important article which appeared on the NPR Blog "Shots" is worth reading.  Especially if you reside in the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic states, the upper Midwest and other endemic areas:

"Tick Tally Reveals Lyme Disease Risk."

 

Bedbug Invasion 2010

"Cimex lectularius, the notorious bedbug, is an international arthropod of mystery.  In comparison to other insects that bite man, or even only walk across man’s food, nibble man’s crops or bite man’s farm animals, very little is known about the creature whose Latin name means — go figure — “bug of the bed.” Only a handful of entomologists specialize in it, and until recently it has been low on the government’s research agenda because it does not transmit disease. Most study grants come from the pesticide industry and ask only one question: What kills it?"

Donald McNeil's article in the September 1, 2010 NY Times, "They Crawl, They Bite, They Baffle Scientists" is a fine introduction to this important pest.

This Bedbug's Life

an Op-Ed piece in the August 8, 2010 NY TImes by entomologist May Berenbaum

Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), once a rarity, over the past decade have become ubiquitous pests. "Global travelers now bring in a steady supply from around the world, inconspicuously undeclared in checked bags and carry-on luggage. Today, bedbugs have been found in all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico and American Samoa, and bedbug-related calls to pest control operators are escalating at a fantastic rate. From June 2009 to June 2010, there were more than 31,000 calls in New York City alone."

Dr. Berenbaum's chatty, informative editorial, This Bedbug's Life,  is a must-read for anyone interested in or bothered by these unlovable vermin.

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Defeating the Lice Without Emptying Your Wallet

 by Walencia Konrad

"Except for the ick factor, there’s no real reason to plunk down a hundred dollars or more to treat a case of lice, says Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an entomologist at Cornell University.

Between six million and 12 million children a year become infected with lice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The tiny bugs, no bigger than a sesame seed, spread easily among children ages 3 to 11, who are likely to come into close head-to-head contact with one another or share hats, headbands and the like."

This is a helpful, patient-centered piece. Full Article, NY Times, May 28, 2010..

Scabies Slide Show

This is a well-done and informative slide show on scabies.  It is well worth viewing and answers most questions.

It's an example of how multimedia can teach better than straight text.  Lindane (Kwell) for all practical purposes is not used any more because it is difficult to obtain.  This piece grossly overestimates the risk (which was only seen in premature infants!)

How to Remove a Tick

eHow has a good section on Tick Removal.

Bed Bugs

New York Times, July 10, 2009  Sleeping with the Enemy

"AFTER virtually disappearing for decades, bed bugs have made a comeback throughout the nation, with particularly bad infestations in densely populated apartment buildings.

Encouraged in part by the banning of DDT, the insects have become so prevalent that the EPA  held a National Bed Bug Summit in April.

Rather than wait for a Washington task force to do something, though, people with an infestation probably want to take immediate action. So this column is all about what consumers can do to avoid being bitten twice — first by the vermin and then by a venal exterminator. Times Article. 

Scabies

Jane Brody wrote an important introduction to scabies in the September 23, 2008 NY Times.

"Scabies is frequently misdiagnosed and mistreated, partly because most physicians are unfamiliar with it and partly because its symptoms mimic so many other skin diseases.

A correct diagnosis is further complicated by the fact that symptoms can often appear six to eight weeks after a person becomes infested with the microscopic arthropod, making it seem as if the problem came from nowhere. But unlike other skin diseases, scabies is usually accompanied by a tell-tale sign: one or more burrows in the skin where female mites lay their eggs.

Scabies is easily cured, but only if patients and their close contacts conscientiously follow directions for medical treatment and environmental cleanup. However, even after a person is rid of the mites and their eggs, itching can persist for up to four weeks."

To read the full article click on "An Itchy Torment, Frequently Misdiagnosed."

Picture of mite taken from Stanford Medical School's article on Scabies.