Cutanous Larva Migrans......

[caribbeanprlgrl]

Has anyone contracted this "problem" while in Jamaica? Who did you go to for help if they manifested themselves while you were still in Jamaica?

We know it is a sub/tropical problem and it is very common as we have since found out from a multitude of doctors. Here is our experience dealing with it. We spent six weeks this past spring in Jamaica. Four days after we got home my husband says the skin on his feet feels irritated...so I look at them and sure enough there are huge spots of redness. I told him that it may possibly be from having to once again wear a full shoe rather than sandals. Another 4 days pass...he says the redness is worse. I just about freaked out.....I knew what it was, but he didn't. I had to tell him it was parasites....a really, really bad case of parasites. His feet were covered in them. So both of us were freaked out totally! He was at the Dr the next day. Unfortunately his Dr was gone so had to see someone else. He was prescribed Vermox. Don't waste your money on it, it doesn't do a thing. It got so bad so fast it was shocking. Both feet were covered in worms circling around and around, pockets of infection everywhere....between toes,on soles, on top and sides , even under his toenails. This all happened in about a week. To make a 4 month story short, he ended up on disability as he could no longer walk on his feet. The severe amount of infection invaded his body so bad that it wreaked havoc on his immune system, so when his Dr prescribed penicillin or antibiotics he would go into dangerous allergic reaction. He was rushed to emergency 8 times. His throat, tongue, face, hands, arms, legs would swell in minutes....no, actually it only took seconds to happen. His Dr was back about a couple weeks into dealing with this and he knew exactly what it was and what was needed to end it quickly. Only a dosage of Ivermectin or Albiendazole will. The Dr tried to contact Health Canada to dispense it but they could care less about anyone so we found out. Needless to say the Dr was not impressed. He actually had tried the end of June and then again the first week of August as my husband's left foot had started to turn black and we were preparing ourselves for either partial loss or complete loss of this foot. Everyday, 2-3 times a day it was a routine of peeling off bandages and soaking his feet in salt and water, then rewrapping them. It was a four month nightmare!
About 90% of our drs here are Afrikaanars so they are well aware of this problem and the cure. I did hours and hours of research online to educate myself on how we could deal with it. My husband ended up seeing his Dr 20/25 times. He had to be taken to the hospital to have needles put into the pockets of infection to have them drained. Some of the pockets were one inch wide by three inches long and protruding an inch off the surface of his skin.

There is a severe amount of pain associated with this as well as painful itching as you can well imagine. The trauma of knowing you have worms is terrible.

When I was doing research on this, I noticed Jamaica comes up fairly often with cases of it, even though I know it is in other places also.

Everyone that travels to a tropical place needs to be very aware of this problem as it can result in life or limb being lost as we found out.

Fortunately my husbands feet made a full recovery even though it took awhile for new skin to grow and toughen enough so he could put on shoes.

This is why I am asking if anyone has experienced this while in Jamaica.

[yetta]

I have never had this problem but I do recall another drug often used to treat this other than Albendazole. It is Mintezol. If by some chance I did contract it, I would head to a doc in Jamaica since I'm sure they are probably more familiar with treatment. So sorry to hear about your husband's unfortunate dilemma.

[JitterBug]

i do recall folks on these boards chatting about this . . . hope someone else pipes up with what worked! . . . what is the common name of these worms? ringworm?

[caribbeanprlgrl]

i do recall folks on these boards chatting about this . . . hope someone else pipes up with what worked! . . . what is the common name of these worms? ringworm?

It is a hookworm. If you look at a pic of it you'll know why it's called that. Two "fang type" hooks that it puts into your skin to drag itself along.

[Jambarney]

I am so sorry to hear of you and your husbands terrible misfortune. I am hoping that he and you are well on the way to both physical and mental well recovery and well being.

Yes I have went thru this but my experience was nothing at all like yours, in fact the severity and description of your husbands ordeal differ quite a bit from mine.

I was diagnosed with Cutanous Larvae Migranis, unfortunately it can be picked up any where there is animal feces, especially when the animals have most likely not had any worm treatment.

My case was around 06, some soars on my right foot, upper part only and I believe one or two toes [top only]. Yes I could feel them moving around, but very little soarness or pain, but intense and I mean very intense itching, some minor burning. My local Dr. referred me to the Kansas City Infectious Disease Center kind of unsure of my condition, once I was seen by the specialist, he immediately made the diagnosis and even asked to photograph it for learning and intern purposes. I was prescribed Stromechtol which is code for Ivermectin and the Dr. prescribed 9 pills. After calling all over KC I found a CVS [back then Osco] that had 5 pills. My Dr. said go ahead that should do it. I remember within 20 to 30 minutes after taking the first pill that the parasite activity in my foot went crazy, almost as if they were trying to flee. By the next day the round red soars started to turn purple and black with a few lines also the same color. The itching and movement feeling went away immediately. The soars and lines turned black and literally peeled off, similar to flaking sun burnt skin. I missed 2 days of work and had no after effects at all. Co-workers would get a kick out of me taking my sock off and showing them.

I did get it on the beach but to be honest I have walked the same beach dozens of times since then and have not contracted it again. If you walk or mistakenly step around dog or cat feces in an area where the animals have not been wormed then that's your risk or vulnerability. I do now keep a more vigilant eye out but to be honest I still go bare footed on the beach with no hesitation.

Aware yes, scared no way. I am not to sure that loss of limb or life is common at all from this.

Hope this helps.

Jamb

[caribbeanprlgrl]

I am so sorry to hear of you and your husbands terrible misfortune. I am hoping that he and you are well on the way to both physical and mental well recovery and well being.

Yes I have went thru this but my experience was nothing at all like yours, in fact the severity and description of your husbands ordeal differ quite a bit from mine.

I was diagnosed with Cutanous Larvae Migranis, unfortunately it can be picked up any where there is animal feces, especially when the animals have most likely not had any worm treatment.

My case was around 06, some soars on my right foot, upper part only and I believe one or two toes [top only]. Yes I could feel them moving around, but very little soarness or pain, but intense and I mean very intense itching, some minor burning. My local Dr. referred me to the Kansas City Infectious Disease Center kind of unsure of my condition, once I was seen by the specialist, he immediately made the diagnosis and even asked to photograph it for learning and intern purposes. I was prescribed Stromechtol which is code for Ivermectin and the Dr. prescribed 9 pills. After calling all over KC I found a CVS [back then Osco] that had 5 pills. My Dr. said go ahead that should do it. I remember within 20 to 30 minutes after taking the first pill that the parasite activity in my foot went crazy, almost as if they were trying to flee. By the next day the round red soars started to turn purple and black with a few lines also the same color. The itching and movement feeling went away immediately. The soars and lines turned black and literally peeled off, similar to flaking sun burnt skin. I missed 2 days of work and had no after effects at all. Co-workers would get a kick out of me taking my sock off and showing them.

I did get it on the beach but to be honest I have walked the same beach dozens of times since then and have not contracted it again. If you walk or mistakenly step around dog or cat feces in an area where the animals have not been wormed then that's your risk or vulnerability. I do now keep a more vigilant eye out but to be honest I still go bare footed on the beach with no hesitation.

Aware yes, scared no way. I am not to sure that loss of limb or life is common at all from this.

Hope this helps.

Jamb

Even though your case wasn't as severe as my husband's, it is still horrible that you contracted it. We were fortunate in the fact that our Drs here are familiar with it, in fact hubby's Dr practiced in several South Sea islands so he was very acquainted with it.

If a person has been infected to extent my husband's feet were, it is because of the amount of infection from, as the Dr said, " the by-products" of the hookworm, including it's scales coming off it's body. Then, if you cannot get the meds needed, as we couldn't, it leaves you with the risk of losing limbs, etc. Also, if a person ingested hookworm and it was not diagnosed immediately, within days you can be near death if not caught, and yes that will result in death.

On satellite channels there is a program called "The Monsters Inside Me". There has been real life occurences told where this has happened. This is especially true with children, which as we know, always seem to have the habit of putting hands in their mouth. Also in my extensive research I have read of losing limbs and death occurring. There is also another problem that occurrs, and apparently this occurs often, and that is of becoming anemic.

I would not wish this hookworm problem on anybody....it truly was a nightmare.

[gailnegril]

Please don't ride those hoofless horses on the beach, too many time they don't dispose of poop. My suggestion would be to get in contact with the hotel that you stayed at for guidance. Dr's in Negril are on point with medications for treatment.

[Captain Oil]

This is one of the reasons we do not hang around any place that has dogs or cats unless we are wearing shoes. So that leaves out any place on the beach that has dogs/cats since we never wear shoes on the beach. I know this will upset all the dog/cat lovers out there, but neither has a place near the beach. Hopefully owners of businesses on the beach are learning that dogs /cats are NOT an attraction but actually hurt their business.

[caribbeanprlgrl]

This is one of the reasons we do not hang around any place that has dogs or cats unless we are wearing shoes. So that leaves out any place on the beach that has dogs/cats since we never wear shoes on the beach. I know this will upset all the dog/cat lovers out there, but neither has a place near the beach. Hopefully owners of businesses on the beach are learning that dogs /cats are NOT an attraction but actually hurt their business.

We agree with you totally. A resort should not have dogs/cats on the property. I cringe when I see parents allowing their kids to walk around without footwear on lawns, sidewalks, etc. After what hubby went thru, we are not really concerned what animal lovers think either. The cat population on the property where we stay is out of control.....bad!!! No doubt it was on the beach area of this property that my husband contracted hookworm.

[poolguywindsor]

Why are those horses aloud on the beach? That drives me crazy every time I am there, they drop there loads every where and some of those young kids ride them like maniacs up and down the beach,is this not dangerous?