Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Human angiostrongylosis

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiao-Ping Wang ◽  
Zhao-Rong Lun
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Angiostrongylus Cantonensis ◽  
Eosinophilic Meningitis ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Zoonotic Pathogen ◽  
The Past ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Main Clinical Manifestation

Angiostrongylus cantonensis was first discovered in rats in Guangzhou (Canton), China in 1935 (Chen 1935). A. cantonensis is a zoonotic pathogen, which causes human angiostrongylosis with the main clinical manifestation of eosinophilic meningitis. The first case of human angiostrongylosis was reported in Taiwan in 1945. Subsequently several outbreaks of this disease occurred in Pacific Islands (Rosen et al. 1961; Kliks and Palumbo 1992). In the past decade, a number of outbreaks of human angiostrongylosis have emerged in some endemic regions, especially in China (Wang et al. 2008). Additionally, increasing numbers of travellers are diagnosed with eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis after returning from endemic regions (Lo et al. 2001; Slom et al. 2002; Bartschi et al. 2004; Podwall et al. 2004; Kumar et al. 2005; Leone et al. 2007; Ali et al. 2008). The parasite continues to threaten human beings, especially people living in the Pacific Islands and Asia. So far, at least 2,825 cases have been recorded; of them, 1,337 were reported in Thailand, 769 in China (Hong Kong and Taiwan), 256 in Tahiti, 116 in the USA (Hawaii and Samoa) and 114 cases in Cuba (Wang et al. 2008).

Cluster of eosinophilic meningitis attributable to Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in French policemen troop returning from the Pacific Islands

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 301-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Malvy ◽  
Khaled Ezzedine ◽  
Marie-Catherine Receveur ◽  
Thierry Pistone ◽  
Lionel Crevon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Angiostrongylus Cantonensis ◽  
Eosinophilic Meningitis ◽  
The Pacific

scholarly journals The efficiency of educational communications networks: ATS-1 as a quasi-mass medium

1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Lange
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Mass Medium ◽  
Communications Networks ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Pacific

<span>The ATS-1 satellite has been used for educational teleconferencing networks in the Pacific Islands for the past decade. It has been criticised as inefficient, but these criticisms are largely based on a misunderstanding of the limitations of the satellite, which make it what Regan (1978) calls a "quasi-mass medium". This study analyses the content of ATS-1 traffic to examine both the strengths and weaknesses of its networks, and suggests ways to improve their operation.</span>

scholarly journals Looking north or looking anywhere? Indo-Fijian international relations after the coups of May 2000 and December 2006

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eberhard Weber
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Hard Core ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
High Profile ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Old Friends ◽  
The Eu

Between 1987 and 2006 Fiji experienced four coups in which Governments were overthrown by their military forces or parts of it. After the fourth coup in December 2006 old metropolitan friends such as Australia, New Zealand, the USA and the EU responded with travel sanctions, cancellation of military cooperation and frozen development assistance. When Fiji was politically isolated it fostered secondary political friendships of olden days and established new ones. The paper searches for evidence of Fiji’s agency to change the structure of its International Relations (IR) after the coup of 2000. Such relations were first shaped in Prime Minister Qarase’s ‘Look North’ policy, but following the coup of December 2006 Fiji’s IR took a new quality once political isolation was overcome and internal power stabilized. The paper concentrates on Indo- Fijian relations, which, however, are embedded in Fiji’s general effort to achieve greater independence from old friends by forcing new international relationships. Of particular interest in this context is, if Fiji’s political orientation after 2006 has just been a temporary necessity born out of political isolation or if Fiji’s policy of fostering South–South relations will remain a decisive element of the country’s foreign policy in the long term. To understand IR in the context of Fiji and India it is essential to look at both countries, their interests and agency. Looking at Fiji alone would leave the question unanswered, why Indian Governments had an interest to cooperate with the country in the Pacific Islands despite hard-core nationalist anti-Indian sentiments and politics pursued in Fiji after the coup of 2000. It also won’t be conclusive why India should be interested at all to foster high profile relations with a tiny country like Fiji in a situation when Indian governments were aiming at much higher goals.

Solanum elaeagnifolium (silverleaf nightshade).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Jennifer Datiles ◽  
Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Perennial Plant ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Silverleaf Nightshade ◽  
Agricultural Weed ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Solanum Elaeagnifolium ◽  
Noxious Weed

Abstract S. elaeagnifolium is a deep-rooted summer-growing perennial plant, native to the Americas, but now widely naturalized beyond its native range in extra-tropical regions. It is considered a tenacious weed in many arid to semi-arid places including India, Australia, South Africa, the Pacific Islands, and the USA (Holm et al., 1979; Wagner et al., 1999; Randall, 2012; USDA-ARS, 2014). It is known to be invasive in Cuba (Oviedo-Prieto et al., 2012) and Hawaii (PIER, 2014), a principal weed in India (Holm et al., 1979), and an agricultural weed in Java (Randall, 2012). It has been declared a noxious weed in the U.S. states of Arkansas, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington, and an "A" designated weed for quarantine in Oregon and Washington (USDA-NRCS, 2014). The species competes with crops, interferes with livestock, acts as a host for insects and plant diseases, and spreads by forming dense colonies from its extensive root system as well as by propagation of seeds (Boyd et al., 1984; Wagner et al., 1999; EPPO, 2007; PIER, 2014). The species is difficult to control without chemicals (UC Davis Weed Research and Information Center, 2013) and it is essential to keep it out of uncontaminated areas (EPPO, 2007). The species is known to be toxic to cattle, causing damage to intestinal tract and nervous systems and, in severe cases, can cause hallucinations, paralysis, and death (Mas and Lugo-Torres, 2013).

scholarly journals Pharmacological Management of Severe Neuropathic Pain in a Case of Eosinophilic Meningitis Related to Angiostrongylus cantonensis

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Busse ◽  
David Gottlieb ◽  
Krystal Ferreras ◽  
Jennifer Bain ◽  
William Schechter
Keyword(s):  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Angiostrongylus Cantonensis ◽  
Eosinophilic Meningitis ◽  
Pharmacological Management ◽  
Ketamine Infusion ◽  
Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor ◽  
Rat Lungworm ◽  
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor ◽  
Norepinephrine Reuptake

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is the most common infectious cause of eosinophilic meningitis and can be fatal. The parasite can be found throughout Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands and the global distribution is expanding. We present the case of a fourteen-year-old female who had previously traveled to Hawaii and developed severe neuropathic pain related to A. cantonensis infection refractory to gabapentin and pregabalin monotherapy, who was eventually managed with an ultralow dose ketamine infusion, methadone, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.

scholarly journals THE FIRST CASE OF Angiostrongylus cantonensis EOSINOPHILIC MENINGITIS DIAGNOSED IN THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Carvalho do Espírito-Santo ◽  
Pedro Luiz Silva Pinto ◽  
Dan Jesse Gonçalves da Mota ◽  
Ronaldo César Borges Gryschek
Keyword(s):  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Angiostrongylus Cantonensis ◽  
Eosinophilic Meningitis ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Csf Analysis ◽  
First Case ◽  
The City

Introduction:Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a natural parasite found in lung arteries of rats, which in humans may cause eosinophilic meningitis. Objective: To report the first case of eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Case report: A male patient, 11 years old, living in the southern area of São Paulo, was admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department with ongoing headaches for three days, but no fever or any other complaint. The presence of snails and rodents was reported in the peridomicile. The child was awake, lucid, oriented; muscular strength preserved, isochoric, photo reagent pupils and terminal nuchal rigidity - Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) = 15. The laboratory tests showed a mild leukocytosis with 1736 eosinophils/mm3 and the CSF analysis disclosed 160 leukocytes/mm3 with 36% of eosinophils. The bacterial culture was negative. Computed Cerebral Tomography showed no alterations. The RT-PCR assay for detecting Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae and DNA was negative. ELISA antibodies for IgG anti-A. cantonensis was negative in serum and undetermined in CSF and samples collected five days after the onset of symptoms. Seroconversion was observed in the sample collected 135 days later. Conclusion: the epidemiological and clinical data, the CSF alterations with eosinophilia and the seroconversion strongly suggest Angiostrongylus cantonensis eosinophilic meningitis.

scholarly journals Envisioning South-South relations in the fields of environmental change and migration in the Pacific Islands - past, present and futures

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eberhard Weber
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Pacific Islanders ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Migration Flows ◽  
Pacific Island Countries

Climate change poses severe threats to developing countries. Scientists predict entire states (e.g. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Maldives) will become inhabitable. People living in these states have to resettle to other countries. Media and politicians warn that climate change will trigger migration flows in dimensions unknown to date. It is feared that millions from developing countries overwhelm developed societies and increase pressures on anyway ailing social support systems destabilizing societies and becoming a potential source of conflict.Inhabitants of Pacific Islandsahave been mobile since the islands were first settled not longer than 3,500 years ago. Since then people moved around, expanded their reach, and traded with neighbouring tribes (and later countries). With the event of European powers in the 15thcentury independent mobility became restricted after the beginning of the 19thcentury. From the second half of the 19thcentury movements of people predominately served economic interests of colonial powers, in particular a huge colonial appetite for labour. After independence emigration from Pacific Island countries continued to serve economic interest of metropolitan countries at the rim of the Pacific Ocean, which are able to direct migration flows according to their economic requirements.If climate change resettlements become necessary in big numbers then Pacific Islanders do not want to become climate change refugees. To include environmental reasons in refugee conventions is not what Pacific Islanders want. They want to migrate in dignity, if it becomes unavoidable to leave their homes. There are good reasons to solve the challenges within Pacific Island societies and do not depend too much on metropolitan neighbours at the rim of the Pacific such as Australia, New Zealand and the USA. To rise to the challenge requires enhanced Pan-Pacific Island solidarity and South-South cooperation. This then would result in a reduction of dependencies. For metropolitan powers still much can be done in supporting capacity building in Pacific Island countries and helping the economies to proposer so that climate change migrants easier can be absorbed by expanding labour markets in Pacific Island countries.

The Pacific Islands and the USA.

1997 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Mike Evans ◽  
Ron Crocombe
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Usa

scholarly journals Dilated Cardiomyopathy Associated with Paraquat Herbicide Poisoning

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 679-686
Author(s):  
Jaffer Ahmad ◽  
Kyla D’Angelo ◽  
Madalyn Rivas ◽  
Manpreet Mahal ◽  
Vikas Nookala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Fatal Poisoning ◽  
Reduced Ejection Fraction ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Detailed Medical History ◽  
Diagnostic Work

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a subset of cardiomyopathies defined by reduced ejection fraction of less than 45% and a dilated left ventricle. While dilated cardiomyopathy is common, its etiology is not always readily evident. Paraquat is used as an herbicide worldwide and is one of the main causes of fatal poisoning in underdeveloped countries in Asia, Central America, and the Pacific Islands. The most commonly affected organs are the lungs and kidneys. However, experimental research has shown that Paraquat can affect the heart indirectly through increased vascular permeability. In vivo animal studies have shown that paraquat poisoning causes myocardial contractile dysfunction by decreased fractional shortening and cardiac remodeling. We report the first case in published literature of a 52-year-old Hispanic man with dilated cardiomyopathy strongly associated with Paraquat exposure. It is important to obtain detailed medical history and proper diagnostic work-up including work, social, and family history, and echocardiography, baseline EKG, lab work, and ischemia cardiac testing as it can lead to improved diagnostic evaluation of possible etiologies of the commonly seen dilated cardiomyopathies and help identify less well-known etiologies as seen in our patient.

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