Infections Archives

September 7, 2016December 28, 2016

Camel Spider Bite

Camel spiders are venomous spiders type that can even chew on people, especially when they are asleep. The venom that enters the body during this process makes the bite area numb and the bite victim cannot feel anything at all. However, the venom is not deadly but there is no doubt that camel spider bites are extremely painful in nature.

How to Identify a Camel Spider?

Since there are many types of spiders in nature, one thing that you should definitely know is how to distinguish between the camel spider and other types of spiders. The color of the camel spider ranges from beige to brown or even light gray in many cases. The species of camel spider decides on their length. The large jaws of a camel spider differentiate them from others. Their jaws are paired like that of a pliers tool. This helps them catch their prey better and crush them in a sawing motion, finally pulping down the prey.

The camel spider belongs to arachnid category and specifically solifugids type of arachnid. The simple definition of solifugids is ‘those who run from the sun’. Some researchers say, that camel spiders look more like a scorpion.The table below will help you understand the differences between a camel spider, a normal spider and a scorpion:

[table id=2 /]

The Place Where Camel Spider Resides

Arid and warm areas are where camel spiders can be found. This is especially true for deserts. Also, according to various researches, it has been proved that they do not like sunlight and live under the rocks or debris. Some of them even bury themselves within the soil to prevent sunlight exposure. You will find these species of spiders to be more active during the night time.

Symptoms of a Camel Spider Bite

There are many signs and symptoms that help us understand and differentiate between a normal spider bite and a camel spider bite. The signs & symptoms mentioned here will help you identify what exactly you want and then work accordingly to get the right treatment and remedies. Keep reading to know more about the symptoms of a camel spider bite:

Feeling of Intense Pain :- One of the most common symptoms that come with a camel spider bite or not is the intensity of pain. In the case of camel spider bite, the pain is intense which is because of their pliers form of jaws.

Swelling in the Area :- Another expected symptom of a camel spider bite is swelling.. The bite causes a high level of trauma in the surrounding tissues of the skin. This is basically the body’s inflammatory response to the bite but is also one of the signs that you must watch out for.

Bleeding in the Area :- When it comes to a camel spider bite, you can see bleeding in the bite area. This can range anywhere from mild bleeding to intense, depending upon the size of the camel spider that has bitten you.

These are some of the well known symptoms of a camel spider bite. However, the signs can differ from person to person on the grounds of allergic reactions.

Some Pictures of Camel Spider Bite

Camel Spider Bite Infection Picture

Treatment to Cure Camel Spider Bite

Once we are sure about the fact that a camel spider has bitten one of our body areas, the next thing we need to follow is the right way of treatment and first aid for the same. Though, there is a particular time period which the bite will take to heal itself, there are remedies and proper treatment procedures that can help you fasten the process.

Since the camel spider bite is not venomous, it can be healed in the same way as regards bites by other spiders or insects. However, one of the major things that you need to take care of is infection. Ensure that you do not catch any sort of bacterial infection during the course of healing of the wound. The treatment does not include emergency or immediate cure, but you can follow the steps given below:

Washing the Bite :- Use either saline water (water mixed with salt) or a mix of water and mild soap to wash the bitten area. The bacteria that the venom has can be removed with this process. This makes it extremely important to clean the area well and thoroughly. This will keep the infection away and will also help you get best results with other treatments.

Pat it Dry :- Once the cleansing is done, the next step is patting it dry with a clean towel. This is another essential thing to follow.

Use Antibiotic :- An antibiotic ointment comes very handy in such cases. One needs to apply this ointment well on the affected area.

Application of a Bandage :- We need to avoid any dirt or bacteria into the bite. For the very same purpose, it is essential to cover the bite with a clean bandage. The size of the bandage will depend on the area that is affected with the bite.

Keep it under Observation :- Make sure you keep checking on the bite from time to time. Also, keep changing the bandage at least 2-3 times in a day. This will again ensure faster recovery.

Get a Tetanus Shot :- An extra mile would never hurt. If you want to be on the safer side and avoid any kind of infection, then the best thing to do is to get a tetanus shot.

Seek Professional Help :- In a case the bite does not appear to heal on its own, is causing a lot of pain, bleeding or getting infected, then there is nothing better than getting medical help. Visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Healing Time

For the complete healing of a camel spider bite: 1-2 weeks are required (it should be uncomplicated and free from infections)

Facts to Know about Camel Spider Bites

Camel Spiders are not known to attack humans or for that matter any creature that are bigger in size compared to them.
Normally, they end up biting humans in search of shady areas. This is especially true in desert areas where humans are quite a big option for shadows.
The name Camel Spider comes from the fact that they are quite a common scene near camels which provide them the shade they want in desert areas.
The fact that camel spider bite is highly venomous is not true.
There is no serious reason to be threatened from a camel spider or its bite.

How to Keep Away from Camel Spiders and Prevent Their Bites

There is no doubt that people who reside in desert areas are prone to camel spider bites. To avoid or prevent the camel spiders and their bites there are some methods that can be adopted. The tips mentioned below will give you the right outcomes:

Keep Away from Its Food :- Keep away from all possible preys of a camel spider. This is one of the common reasons why camel spiders come into your vicinity. Keep the area around you clean of small insects and bugs. Also, stay away from termites.

Protection of your Food :- Do not leave your food in the open! Open food may attract insects and this in turn may attract the camel spiders to prey on your food. Protective containers are highly advisable for keeping the food protected and safe from insects and spiders.

Regulation of the Shadows :- As read earlier, camel spiders love shady places. Shadows therefore, can attract camel spiders easily. While travelling in a desert, avoid creating large shadows that can easily lure camel spiders to approach you.

Some Caution Facts

Do not insect spray on a camel spider. The fact being, they are completely resilient to it and it might only frustrate them.
Camel Spiders cannot be trained as domestic animals as they are creatures that belong to the wild.
Do not leave your sleeping bags, shoes and backpacks out in the open as it provides a good shady area for them to breed.

Watch out for full Documentary video by National Geographic on Camel Spider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qME5rIqnkk

This is a complete guide of what all you should be aware of when it comes to camel spiders and their bites. Make sure you look in for the symptoms and treatment whenever in need.

July 14, 2016July 14, 2016

HIV Incubation Period

The HIV is a serious intense condition that can damage or deplete your whole immunity system and even cause life threatening situations for you. The human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is one of the leading causes for AIDS or acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The main way you contract HIV is by engaging in unprotected sexual coitus. Even blood contact by sharing the needles would cause you the disease. However, a patient suffering from HIV can still lead a long life before contracting AIDS while some people suffering from HIV may never even develop the AIDS syndrome.

HIV Incubation Period- Definition

Incubation period can be defined as the time enclosed between the contraction period and the showing of the first symptoms pertaining to that disease. The time gap between the incurrence and the first symptom to show up for HIV is usually dissected into three stages.

Acute HIV Infection

After the exposure to this virus, this stage occurs which is literally within the first two to six weeks in between the infection setting in. in this period our body recognizes it as a foreign intruder and launches a fight to combat the encroachment. If diagnosed at this stage, consider the fact that the HIV virus is already in your body and take appropriate medical steps regarding it.

The HIV incubation period starts with the first two or six weeks as a mark where you will experience a slight flu like symptom occurring. This can last up to two weeks after the exposure to the virus.
The usual symptoms experienced at around this time are in the form of rashes, vomiting and nausea, headache, fatigue and diarrhea, soreness in throat and possibly a high fever. These symptoms are fueled by the immune system putting up a fight against the foreign encroachment.
If the virus is caught at this stage, this is just an initial condition which if exposed to proper treatment can easily be reversed. The expansion or growth of the condition can be prevented and you can eradicate the disease all together.

2. Chronic HIV Infection

Now comes the second stage to the HIV incubation period where the symptoms you were experiencing earlier seem to be fade away. However, the virus is still present in your body as it depletes your immune system step by step each day. you may experience the flu like symptoms or catch a cold and then recover from it without any delay owing thanks to the parts of the immunity system that are still intact.

This incubation period can last up to a good ten year or more and even decades before another HIV symptom is recognized. However, during this incubation period transfer or transmission of the disease from one to another is very likely a condition.
The second stage of the incubation period usually doesn’t come with many symptoms. However, years later a symptom such as a fever or a swollen lymph node can be identified. Steady weight loss or fatigue and lethargy may be persistent. Oral yeast infection or repeated shingles or herpes and even diarrhea symptoms can be identified.

AIDS Infection

By now the HIV virus has rummaged through your entire immunity system and has damaged or exposed you to the point where contraction of any infection or disease is likely to be a hassle free affair. The doctor would tell you that the progressive nature of the HIV virus is very likely to make a pathway for the AIDS virus to grow in you owing its presence to the CD4 cells of your body. If the CD4 cell count drops below 200 per cubic millimeter of blood, you are likely to be considered an AIDS patient as well. However, if you are already on the medication course the progression of the HIV virus may never reach to that point.

Symptoms: The symptoms in this incubation period will worsen with each day as the prolonged fever will not convert into breakout of night sweats, more swelling in the lymph nodes, extreme loss of weight and shortness of breath, lethargy and tiredness, chronic diarrhea, yeast infections may occur in the throat, mouth or the genital areas. Purple bruise like spots or easy bruising and uncontrolled bleeding may occur.
Treatment: If the AIDs virus has already set in and you are still not working out a medical course, chances seem very slim right now. Without a proper shot at treatment, the patient with progressive HIV or AIDS by now has a span of three years to survival. If any unfortunate infection shows up the time span can wind down to simply a year’s notice. However, a cocktail or medical drug to boost up your immunity at this time will allow you to combat AIDS in a more stable way. These medications usually come with a list of serious side effects but the end results are quite promising since they can add a few more years to your life.

HIV incubation period- How does HIV Infection spread?

HIV infection can be spread or contracted through many ways. The most transmission of virus from one to another is caused right during the HIV incubation period. The transmission mainly occurs through contact of unprotected genitals like engaging in anal or vaginal sexual intercourse without protection. Also sharing of the same needles or engaging in oral sexual pleasures can transmit the virus from one to another. Often a mother with the virus in her can pass on the virus to the child she bears inside. However, this is quite a rare case. Even breastfeeding should be taken into account. If you use unhygienic equipments during piercing or tattoos, you may expose yourself to the risk of contracting HIV.

However, transmission of the virus even throughout the incubation period cannot be passed on by drinking in the same cup or using the same food. You can share your food, swim in the same pool, shake hands or hug. Animals too can be interacted with even if you have the HIV virus in you. Only the exchange of bodily fluids such as sexual fluids or blood can cause this infection to pass from one to another.

The video below will give you some more insight into the working mechanism of HIV.

May 25, 2016May 26, 2016

How Do Viruses Reproduce?

Virus is found everywhere we go. Viral diseases have plagued the lives of millions of people for decades now. From viral fever to viral infections, they are nasty and, once they enter the human body, hard to get rid of. So how do virus function exactly? The answer to this question is reproduction. Their main function is to reproduce, or in their case, multiply into a thousand viral cells and spread themselves inside the human body.

Viruses are the deadliest kind of foreign bodies that can harm our body. They are much more lethal than bacterial and fungal diseases, and multiply more rapidly than them. Viruses don’t even need particular weather conditions to multiply, all they need is a host body. So, stopping a virus reproduction is much more difficult than preventing bacterial or fungal reproduction. So the more we know about these processes, the better. The first thing that we need to know is that there are two kinds of cycles in virus reproduction, which are called the Lytic cycle and the Lysogenic cycle. In this article, we are going to have a thorough look at the two cycles.

Lytic cycle

In this cycle of virus reproduction, the virus infuses the human host cell with its nucleic acid. This enables the virus to reproduce using the host cell’s protein coat, eventually overwhelming the host cell, causing it to burst. The reproduced virus cells then move on to other fresh host cells, and the entire process repeats again. This cycle is generally followed by the virus of viral fevers and infections.

Lysogenic cycle

This cycle of virus reproduction is utilized by virus which are slow to multiply, like the HIV virus and the herpes virus. In this cycle, the nucleic acid of the virus cell does not immediately attack the host cell, instead takes its time to develop hold on the host cell. This is because the nuclei acid of the virus is not active. However, when it does take hold of the host cell, it multiplies soon enough and destroys the host cell in the process, moving on to other host cells.

Following is a picture of the various virus reproduction techniques. The picture clearly shows how the viruses divide and multiply amongst themselves to take complete control of the human cell.