skin parasites? help!

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:21 am

Some of you may have seen in the off topic forum that my daughter has a skin infection. It has been cultured twice and no bacteria (other than surface stuff) has been found. Likewise, the response to her antibiotics has not been good (mild improvement on the second one).

Anyways, I was wondering if there are any parasitic skin diseases on St. John. I googled skin parasites and found an image of early cutaneous leishmaniasis and it looks just like her sore. Does anyone know if there are sandflies on St. John and if anyone ever gets this or other conditions?

Berlingirl · Post by **Berlingirl** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:00 am

Hi djmom...

I don't have an answer to your question directly on the sandflies. I googled also and found that they have a presense in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Didn't look much further, but that is fairly close to the USVI.

I don't know what the lesion looks like but I will add that a few years ago (5 or so) we went to Salt Pond for the first time and something bit my husband on the top front of his leg...multiple times. Whatever it is continues to erupt whenever we hit the island. It starts pink, begins to blister, erupts and starts to heal when we leave. They are the gift that keeps on giving. We have not been back to Salt Pond since then...but he loves STJ so much he is willing to put up with this weirdness once a year. I used to get "tore up" by no see ums and skeets that I almost didn't want to go back, but seem to have developed some type of tolerance that I don't get many bites anymore and they don't linger.

I wish you luck for your child and
maybe somebody has some answers.

bubblybrenda · Post by **bubblybrenda** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 2:07 pm

Sorry, I have no answer for you. Perhaps an infection from sand fleas? I just assumed that is what ate me alive on my Feb/09 trip to STJ as my legs still show the scars from about 40 bites on my legs. That was 10 months ago. The scars are fading slightly. I don't have that reaction from typical mosquito bites. I have been bitten by bed fleas in Mexico and the scars were similar in healing period to what I came from STJ with.

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 2:19 pm

Berlingirl, your husband's thing sounds icky! It sounds a lot like my daughter's thing. I might get that checked out if I were him?

Brenda, this isn't that, there was not a bug bite that I saw, this just sort of came out of nowhere from a tiny hard bump on her arm. And we have back for over a month.

I did some more research and yes, apparently this disease is found in the USVIs, so unless it is way better tomorrow I am going in and ask for a referral to an infectious disease specialist.

P-600 · Post by **P-600** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 2:51 pm

Hi DJmom,
I'm sorry you and your daughter are going through this. I went to Aruba about 8 years ago and came back with an awful rash. Before I left I had read about people getting these rashes from the ropes in the water. Sure enough I got it even though I never touched the ropes and needed a steroid prescription for it to go away.
Another thing I saw on the news was a young girl who vacationed in Belize with her family was bitten by an insect. Several weeks after they returned the sore on her arm grew and eventually erupted. The insects larvae was growing under her skin.
Not sure if any of this helps. Good luck with everything and I hope she gets better soon.

CreativeSuitey · Post by **CreativeSuitey** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:20 pm

Hi, djmom,

You may have seen this info about swimming in contaminated water:

Cruz Bay - reports of sewage in the water, which could lead to parasitic infection; staph infection
http://www.on-stjohn.com/2009/09/12/her ... -cruz-bay/

and

Health Information for Travelers to USVI
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC):

Cutaneous larval migrans is a risk for travelers with exposures on beaches; leptospirosis is common in areas and poses a risk for travelers who do recreational freshwater activities.
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destination ... lands.aspx

I hope the infection clears soon.

AquaGirl · Post by **AquaGirl** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 4:50 pm

My dad had a lesion and bump on his hand from getting scraped on a barnacle. It wouldn't heal for a long time. My hubby did some research and found that there was a specific antibiotic used specifically to treat this particular parasite issue. My dad gave the name of the antibiotic to his doctor who prescribed it for him. It finally cleared up the problem. Unfortunately, this was many years ago and we can't remember name of antibiotic. It may also need to be trying different ones to find one that will work.
You may want to consider:
(1) do some research on-line for various situations to see what you can find about treatments(even though you don't know exactly what it is;
(2) try to find a doctor in your area who has experience treating parasite issues, in case thats the problem.
I'll pray that the answer will be found and she will clear up quickly.
Merry Christmas!

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 5:58 pm

DJmom, check this link out. Do her skin lesions look like this?
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1108784-overview

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:26 pm

Minde, it doesn't have those squigglies, it really doesn't look like that at all. And it doesn't itch, which I think that does.

B and J- there was never an injury really. There was this little hard bump that wasn't red or anything. It was like that for a long time and I didn't think anything of it. Then it got inflamed recently (long story) and here we are. The thing that made me think it might be this particular parasite was that the info said it could sit dormant for months. We went to St. John in June (and November-but the bump was already there). I am wondering it got "activated" recently from a bite that might have happened way back in June.

She gets eaten alive by mosquitos, so I am sure the sand flies would like her too.

It might not even be a parasite, but with two negative bacterial cultures, you start to wonder.

Thank you everyone for your interest in this. Kind of like Mystery Diagnosis, isn't it!

lprof · Post by **lprof** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:38 pm

Maybe not from St John? Lyme Disease ruled out???

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:48 pm

Lprof-yes, Lyme is ruled out.

I am just taking a shot in the dark re. St. John. This is just a really strange thing because (warning-gross content to follow) when the doctor tried to lance it (repeatedly) nothing came out. And all these bacterial cultures are negative...

Kevino · Post by **Kevino** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:53 am

A year ago my daughter was snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay and rubbed up against some coral that affected her with an ugly itchy rash once we got home. When she told her doctor how she thinks it happened, he prescribed a medicine that worked. If you think coral might have caused your issue, I'll try and find out what was prescribed.

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:39 am

Kevino, thanks for your post, but I don't think it is that either. There was never a scrape and she doesn't snorkel. But I do apreciate you and everyone giving me some "leads".

I am wondering if Hugo is out there...I was really hoping to see if he knew anything! Oh Hugo, where are you??????

UF Prof · Post by **UF Prof** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:12 pm

djmom,

I would recommend seeing an infectious disease specialist; it is not wise to try to diagnose online. There are a number of bacterial pathogens that can be transmitted by an insect or arthropod bite. The bacteria are engulfed by macrophages and neutrophils but are not killed. Eventually they are transmitted to regional lymph nodes. Since the bacteria are located intracellularly, they will not be picked up by routine culture methodology. Treatment, once a diagnosis is made, is usually with long term (4 weeks or more) antibiotic therapy.
I would be curious if the lymph nodes closest to the 'bite' are swollen and tender. Also, has there been a low grade fever, and has the lesion become ulcerated?

Again, consult an infectious disease specialist. Good luck.

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:25 pm

Uprof, thanks, I actually have an appt today with the pediatrician to ask for a referral to an ID. Even if this thing goes away, we have no idea what it was and it could come back as you said. I want them to biposy it.

Of course there is the worry that my pediatrician thinks I am insane, which actually I don't really care what he thinks. That is basically why I posted to see if anyone knew of anything that is on St. John, to have a little "ammo" for the doctor.

Of course, this could have happened anywhere, not necessarily St. John. But she has had the bump since the summer, probably right around the time we were there. It was so tiny I didn't think a thing of it. I thought it was a wart her body was fighting off.

No glands are swollen and no fever, but after 8 days on the second antibiotic, it is still there (albeit smaller) but still red and has now crusted over after oozing all day yesterday. And no explanation of what it was makes us uncomfortable. Especially since we have been to the tropics.

Thanks for your advice.

usvi-on-line