Infection with Animal Helminths as a Factor in Causing Poliomyelitis and Epilepsy

Abstract

BtRnau contact, or by contaminated objects. According to Jellard (1957), the main reservoirs of this organism are (a) open lesions in the mothers, babies, or staff ; (b) adult skin and nasal carriers; and (c) the babies themselves, the umbilical cord being one of the principal sites. More than 80% of hospital-born infants are said to develop umbilical colonization by staphylococci at the fourth day (Fairchild, Graber, Vogel, and Ingersoll, 1958). In this respect the presence of the organism in the babies' stools has not been emphasized. Since staphylococci were cultured from the stools in nearly 50% of babies by the eighth day, the stools must be regarded as a potential reservoir of infection to which appropriate action must be directed during nursery outbreaks of staphylococcal sepsis. SummaryRectal colonization by Staph. aureus occurred in 48 % of 92 normal newborn infants by the eighth day, and was not associated with any gastro-intestinal disturbance. The finding of Staph. aureus in stool cultures from infants with diarrhoea should be regarded as incidental, unless shown to be caused by an epidemic strain. However, the prevalence of this organism in the stools may be a significant reservoir of staphylococcal spread in nursery infections.

Neurotoxocariasis associated with lower motor neuron disease: Report of one case

“…Such a mechanism is assumed to cause epilepsy. Accordingly, patients with epilepsy are four times more frequently positive for antibodies against T. canis than controls 18 . Similarly, larvae may cause a focal granulomatous reaction when they reach the spinal cord, compromising anterior horn cells.…”

“…To explain a possible causal relation between neurotoxocarosis and LMND in the patient reported, three pathogenetic scenarios can be put forward: First, larvae of T. canis on their migration from the intestines to target tissues carry with them bacteria, viruses, or other infectious agents [16][17][18] . Via this pathway some patients may have been infected with the polio-virus or other agents.…”

“…Via this pathway some patients may have been infected with the polio-virus or other agents. In a study on 191 patients with poliomyelitis 13,6% were positive for antibodies against T. canis 18 Second, it is well known that larvae in humans do not usually mature after their migration but die and become a focus of granulomatous tissue-reaction around their disintegrating bodies 18 . Such a mechanism is assumed to cause epilepsy.…”

Unusual group of tumours among schoolgirls.

“…1964) that in addition to psittacosis, a number of severe illnesses can result from infection through close contact with virus-like organisms excreted in the respiratory and faecal discharges of apparently healthy psittacine birds such as budgerigars. Other observers (Woodruff and Thacker, 1964;Woodruff, Bisseru and Bowe, 1966) have reported that similar intimate contact with dogs can result in human beings becoming infected with virus-carrying larvae which may produce poliomyelitis or result in granulomatous foci which, if occurring in the brain, may give rise to epilepsy. It has been stated (Doll, 1965) that virus-induced cancers have been observed in so many animals that it would be surprising if man were completely immune.…”

Neurotoxocariais: A Rare or Neglected Disease?

“…Another unsolved issue is the meaning of the association between toxocara seropositivity and epilepsy consistently reported in literature. Early observations have highlighted a high titers of T. canis antibodies among epileptic subjects [17,18]. After these reports, several casecontrol studies have been carried out in different geographic areas, often supporting this possible positive association between epilepsy and T. canis seropositivity [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32].…”