Definition Ectopic pregnancy (Ectopic means “out of place”) is when an embryo grows in the wrong place outside the womb. An embryo is a fertilized egg that results when an egg and sperm combine. Once an egg is fertilized, it usually travels down a fallopian tube and attaches to the …
Read More »Bakers Cyst or Popliteal Cyst- Causes and Treatment
Definition Bakers Cyst is the type of cyst filled with fluid and causes a bulge and feeling of tightness just behind your knees. It accompanies severe pain which worsens gradually when you fully flex or extend the knee or when you are active. Also called popliteal cyst, Baker’s Cyst is …
Read More »Sleepwalking or Somnambulism- Causes, Treatment and Prevention
Definition Sleepwalking, also called somnambulism, a behavioral disorder of sleep in which a person sits up and performs various motor actions, such as standing, walking about, talking, eating, screaming, dressing, going to the bathroom, or even leaving the house. The episode usually ends with the sleepwalker’s returning to sleep, with …
Read More »Toxoplasmosis-Definition, Causes and Treatment
Definition Toxoplasmosis, infection of tissue cells of the central nervous system, spleen, liver, and other organs by a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Infection occurs in domestic and wild animals, birds, and humans and is worldwide in distribution. It is estimated that 30 to 50 percent of the world’s human population carries …
Read More »Acute Flaccid Myelitis – Introduction, Causes, and Prevention.
Introduction – Acute Flaccid Myelitis Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare disease that affects the spinal cord, the part of the nervous system that carries messages to and from the brain. Symptoms of AFM include sudden (acute) weakness in the arm(s) or leg(s), along with loss of muscle tone …
Read More »Campylobacteriosis – Definition, Causes, and Diagnosis.
What is campylobacteriosis? Campylobacteriosis is caused by a bacteria called Campylobacter jejuni, which is found worldwide in the intestinal tracts of animals. The bacteria are spiral-shaped and can cause disease in animals and humans. Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with handling or eating raw or undercooked poultry meat. Campylobacteriosis …
Read More »Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome – Risk factors and prevention.
What is Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome? The term hantavirus represents several groups of RNA-containing viruses (that are members of the virus family of Bunyaviridae) that are carried by rodents and can cause severe respiratory infections termed hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). HPS is found mainly …
Read More »Staph Infection – Risk factors, Complications, and Medications.
Description – Staph Infection Staph infection is caused by staphylococcus bacteria, types of germs commonly found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy individuals. Most of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections. But staph infections can turn deadly if …
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