LARVA MIGRANS, CUTANEOUS

General Information

DEFINITION--Skin infestation of hookworm or roundworm larvae. These parasites usually infect dogs and cats.

BODY PARTS INVOLVED--Skin areas that come in contact with the ground, usually feet, legs or buttocks.

SEX OR AGE MOST AFFECTED--Both sexes; all ages.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS--Skin rash or small blister, progressing to thin, raised lines on the skin leading from the parasite's entry point. The random lines create tunnel-like lesions that lengthen up to 1cm a day. Most persons have several tracks simultaneously, each of different length and pattern.

CAUSES--Infestation by larvae of hookworms and roundworms found in the intestinal tracts of dogs and cats.

RISK INCREASES WITH

• Play in warm, moist sand in which cats or dogs have defecated.
• Work that requires crawling in confined spaces and contact with infected soil, as when plumbers work under houses.

HOW TO PREVENT

• Handle cat litter carefully. Avoid touching soil.
• Don't work or play in soil used by cats and dogs for elimination.
• Have pets treated for worms.

What To Expect

DIAGNOSTIC MEASURES--

• Your own observation of symptoms.
• Medical history and physical exam by a doctor.

APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE

• Home care after diagnosis.
• Doctor's treatment.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS--Secondary bacterial infection of affected skin.

PROBABLE OUTCOME--Usually curable in 1 to 2 weeks with treatment.

How To Treat

GENERAL MEASURES----No measures other than medication treatment.

MEDICATION--Your doctor may prescribe:

• Topical thiabendazole for local application in a 2% solution with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Follow instructions carefully. Apply it to the end of the track (farthest from the point of entry).
• Oral thiabendazole for serious infestations by many larvae. This form causes adverse reactions and side effects.

ACTIVITY--No restrictions.

DIET--No special diet.

Call Your Doctor If

• You have symptoms of larva migrans.
• Skin lesions develop pus, indicating secondary infection.
• You take oral thiabendazole and new, unexplained symptoms develop.