 |
SwiftVets.com
Service to Country
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
|
 Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 2:22 am Post subject: RELIEF FROM BAGHDAD BOILS |
 |
|
RELIEF FROM BAGHDAD BOILS
TTP Intelligence BulletinDr. Jack Wheeler
Friday, May 13, 2005
A number of US soldiers fighting in Iraq have become afflicted with a horrible disease called leishmaniasis (leesh-mun-eye-ah-sis).
They get it from the bite of a sand-fly which injects a parasite into their bloodstream. The “cutaneous” version of the disease causes huge, ghastly, and painful boils on the face and other areas of the skin thus the name, Baghdad Boils. The “visceral” version destroys the liver and other internal organs and can be fatal.
Here’s a video clip from a TV news story on: Baghdad Boils .
Compounding the problem is that the treatment seems worse than the cure. It’s a 20-day therapy of being injected with sodium stibogluconate (commercial names: Pentostam or Stibanate), which can leave every joint in your body with screaming pain, plus give you unending blow-your-head-off migraines.
There is some very recent research which indicates a way to greatly increase the effectiveness of the antileishmanial drug therapy while greatly decreasing its painful side
effects. If you have any friends in the military, know of any soldier suffering from this affliction, or know any soldier serving in Iraq who
may be at risk from sand-fly bites, you may want to make them aware of this.
It involves the use of a common bioflavanoid called quercetin. Bioflavanoids are natural pigments in fruits and vegetables and widely
used as dietary health supplements. Quercetin is found in the skins of apples and red onions. It is a very powerful anti-inflammatory and
anti-oxidant, thus it’s a very popular nutritional preventative of arthritis, coronary heart disease, and cancer.
Quercetin, taken orally, evidently blocks the replication of the leishmanial parasite’s DNA so it can’t replicate. Combining it with the regular antileishmanial drug Pentostam/Stibanate was significantly more effective that the drug alone, according to the research in the link above.
Quercetin’s anti-inflammatory properties should also provide relief from the joint and migraine pain caused by Pentostam/Stibanate. Scaling
up from the experiment on lab animals suggests a regimen of 200 mg. of quercetin with each meal and at bedtime (4xday). Baghdad Boil sufferers might also consider mixing quercetin powder with water into a paste, and applying it topically to the boils.
Quercetin is cheap, safe, and widely available. Its overall health benefits are very substantial, as discussed in this article in Life Extension. I’ve told my friends at the Pentagon about this – but I thought you should know as well.
SBD |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
GM Strong
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 18 Sep 2004
Posts: 1579
Location: Penna
|
| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 2:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
As an Army Medical Specialist I have to say, in any overseas duty there are unique local afflictions. We have to realize that we have the medical knowledge to combat this too. Thank God we have beaten diseases in this country and have the best Medical people in the world. Socialized Hillarycare would destroy this. It may be free in CUba, but it isn't worth *&^^#$%^. We are the best. No argument.
_________________
8th Army Korea 68-69 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LewWaters
Admin
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 4042
Location: Washington State
|
| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 3:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | Leishmaniasis
Description
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of some species of sand flies. It is an obligate intracellular protozoan. The disease most commonly manifests either in a cutaneous (skin) form or in a visceral (internal organ) form.
Occurrence
Leishmaniasis is found in approximately 90 tropical and subtropical countries around the world and in southern Europe. More than 90% of the world's cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis are in Afghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. However, approximately 75% of the cases that are evaluated in the United States were acquired in Latin America, where leishmaniasis occurs from northern Mexico (rarely in rural southern Texas) to northern Argentina. More than 90% of the world's cases of visceral leishmaniasis occur in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, and Sudan. Leishmaniasis is not found in Australia or the South Pacific.
Risk for Travelers
Travelers of all ages are at risk for leishmaniasis if they live in or travel to these areas. Leishmaniasis usually is more common in rural than urban areas, but it is found in the outskirts of some cities. Risk is highest between dusk and dawn. Adventure travelers, Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, ornithologists, other persons who do research outdoors at night, and soldiers are examples of those who might have an increased risk for leishmaniasis, especially the cutaneous form. Even persons with short stays in leishmaniasis-endemic areas can become infected.
Clinical Presentation
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is characterized by one or more skin sores (either painful or painless, with or without a scab) that develop weeks to months after a person is bitten by infected sand flies. If untreated, the sores can last from weeks to years and often eventually develop raised edges and a central crater. The manifestations of visceral leishmaniasis, such as fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anemia, typically develop months, but sometimes years, after a person becomes infected. If untreated, symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis typically is fatal.
Prevention
Vaccines and drugs for preventing infections are not currently available. Preventive measures for the individual traveler are aimed at reducing contact with sand flies. Travelers should be advised to avoid outdoor activities when sand flies are most active (dusk to dawn). Although sand flies are primarily nighttime biters, infection can be acquired during the daytime if resting sand flies are disturbed. Sand fly activity in an area can easily be underestimated because sand flies are noiseless fliers and rare bites might not be noticed.
Travelers should be advised to use protective clothing and insect repellent for supplementary protection. Clothing should cover as much of the body as possible and be tolerated in the climate. Repellent with N,N-diethylmetatoluamide (DEET) should be applied to exposed skin and under the edges of clothing, such as under the ends of sleeves and pant legs. DEET should be applied according to the manufacturer's instructions; repeated applications may be necessary under conditions of excessive perspiration, wiping, and washing (see Protection against Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods). Although impregnation of clothing with permethrin can provide additional protection, it does not eliminate the need for repellent on exposed skin and should be repeated after every five washings.
Contact with sand flies can be reduced by using bed nets and screens on doors and windows. Fine-mesh netting (at least 18 holes to the linear inch; some sources advise even finer) is required for an effective barrier against sand flies, which are about one-third the size of mosquitoes. However, such closely woven bed nets might be difficult to tolerate in hot climates. Impregnating bed nets and window screens with permethrin aerosol can provide some protection, as can spraying dwellings with insecticide.
Treatment
Travelers should be advised to consult with an infectious disease or tropical medicine specialist for diagnosis and treatment. The relative merits of various treatment modalities, including parenteral, oral, local, or topical treatments, can be discussed with the specialist. Physicians may consult with CDC to obtain information about the treatment of leishmaniasis. The drug sodium stibogluconate is available under an Investigational New Drug protocol from the CDC Drug Service. Additional information can be found on the Division of Parasitic Diseases' website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/leishmania/factsht_leishmania.htm. |
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/leishmaniasis.htm
It would seem to me their best chance with this is to follow a lot of the same safety measures we had to in Viet Nam. It also appears it has been known about for some time, so I hope the commanders are stressing good preventive measures for our troops.
_________________
Clark County Conservative |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
