HIV, TB disease, HBV

Men having sex with men (MSMs) of all races are the group most heavily affected by HIV, accounting for 53% of all new infections. The impact of HIV is greater among blacks than any other racial or ethnic group, with an HIV incidence rate that is 7 times higher than that of whites and almost 3 times higher than that of Latinos.
study conducted in 1545 Kenyan men examined if circumcision had any protective efficacy and they were on regular follow-up for 42 months. Overall, there were 27 HIV seroconversions in the circumcised men and 62 in the uncircumcised men, giving a cumulative seroincidence of 2.6% among circumcised men and 7.4% among controls . The relative risk of HIV infection in circumcised men was 0.36, corresponding to a 64% protective effect. In women with HIV disease, the persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was found in 3% of patients despite the absence of concurrent serologic markers of HBV activity, such as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Occult infection with HBV in HIV-positive women was correlated with higher levels of HBV DNA and lower CD4 counts.
The risk for TB disease following the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in developing countries has found to have a high prevalence of TB coinfection. studies concluded that the potential benefits of antiretroviral therapy generally outweighed the risk for reactivated or newly acquired TB infection.The widespread implementation of isoniazid preventive therapy also known as treatment of latent TB infection is both feasible and effective. There are reports showing higher rates of adverse reactions to Bacille Calmette-Guérin administration in HIV-infected infants.

HEREDITARY RISK FOR BREAST CANCER

Everyone carries the BRCA 1 and 2 genes, but it is only when you inherit a faulty copy of the gene that you are at higher risk of developing certain cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer.

If you do inherit a faulty copy of the BRCA gene, you have an up to 80% higher risk of developing breast cancer than other women.

Only 5 to 10% of the 46,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year are due to genetic causes.

Lyme disease.

Causative organism is Borrelia burgdorferi.

It’s also called as Lyme borreloisis. Lyme disease is most common vector borne disease in US.

Mode of transmission: Tick bite (vector)

Causes: Lyme diseases.
Borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted by bite of an infected black legged tick.

Reserviour of an organisms consist of small mammals like white mouse, blood of birds upon which the tick feeds, ticks usually feeds during summer when there is higher incidence of disease. Tick feeds 24-48 hrs to transmit an infectious dose. Feeds on human who enters into the tick’s wood canal habitat. Organisms spread from bite site through the surrounding skin followed by dissemination via’ the blood to various organs like heart, joint, CNS. Classic symptom is erythema chronicum migrans, an expanding “bull’s eye” red rash with central clearing

There are 3 stages of Lyme diseases.

Stage 1- erthema chronicum migrans, flu- like symptoms.

Stage 2- neurological and cardiac manifestations.

Stage 3- auto immune migrating polyarthritis affecting the large joints of the knee.

Prevention.

-prevention centers on wearing protective clothing, socks and long trousers, avoiding sitting on the grass ,use of insects repellents to the exposed areas of the skin as precaution.

- Examining the skin carefully for tick bite is very important as it feeds for 24-48 hours to transmit an infectious does.

-protection measures for hikers, campers, or those living in tick infested areas.

posted by, sanjana