Comments
INITIAL SYMPTOMS:
Pruritic skin lesion most commonly of feet or buttocks; [CCDM];
Larvae of dog and cat hookworms, Ancylostoma braziliense and Ancylostoma caninum, are the source of cutaneous larva migrans. Cutaneous larva migrans appears as pruritic papules, vesicles, or red, serpiginous tracks. At increased risk are utility men, gardeners, and sea-bathers exposed to damp sandy soil contaminated with dog and cat feces. Ancylostoma caninum larvae can migrate to the small intestine and cause eosinophilic enteritis. [CCDM, p. 333] Travelers are infected while walking barefooted on beaches frequented by dogs or cats. Eosinophilia and systemic symptoms are rare. Without treatment, lesions are self-limited (2-8 weeks). [Guerrant, p. 767] Most common places of infection are shady, sandy areas and under houses; [PPID, p. 3239] Usually caused by the dog and cat hookworm, Ancylostoma braziliense; [Harrison ID, p. 1217]
For updated text and symptoms of infectious diseases, see iddx.com.