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Parasitic Infestations

»	Where and how does one acquire cutaneous parasitic diseases?
»	What is “creeping eruption”?
»	How do you treat creeping eruption?
»	What is different about larva currens?
»	Are there other nematode infestations that cause skin disease?
»	How do filarial infections differ from other nematode infections?
»	Where is onchocerciasis most prevalent? How is it transmitted?
»	Does river blindness cause cutaneous manifestations?
»	What are some of the problems with onchocerciasis treatment?
»	What is loiasis?
»	What causes elephantiasis?
»	Can other filarial diseases affect the skin?
»	What is myiasis?
»	What is a warble?
»	What is Congo floor maggot?
»	What is tungiasis?
»	What is the difference between a chigoe and a chigger?
»	Do chiggers burrow into the skin to lay eggs like the sand flea?
»	What is leishmaniasis?
»	Name the different types of leishmaniasis.
»	Can leishmaniasis be contracted in the United States?
»	How does cutaneous amebiasis, due to Entamoeba histolytica, present?
»	What are the skin findings in American trypanosomiasis?
»	What are the skin findings in African trypanosomiasis?
»	Describe the cutaneous manifestations of schistosomiasis as they relate to the parasite’s life cycle.
»	Are swimmer’s itch and sea bather’s eruption the same thing?
»	What is sparganosis?
»	Can other tapeworms affect the skin?
»	What is Demodex?
»	Does Demodex cause skin disease?
»	What are morgellons?

How do you treat creeping eruption?

An older method was to freeze the leading point of the burrow. This sometimes produced significant tissue destruction and often missed the larva, which may be up to 2 cm ahead of the visible burrow. A classic treatment is 10% topical thiabendazole suspension applied four times a day for at least 2 days after the last sign of burrow activity; however, this medication is not always readily available. This regimen has a high cure rate and minimal toxicity. Rare cases may require oral thiabendazole. Oral ivermectin, indicated for the treatment of larval currens, may have a role in the treatment of this disease as an off-label use.