Health News

Australia once led the world in the knowledge and treatment of the condition known as hydatid disease.

Hydatid cysts are common in countries with large sheep populations and so are found not only in Australia but also in the Middle East, in parts of Europe and in North America.

They were first recognised in Australia in 1850 and in the years between the world wars, Sir Harold Dew, professor of surgery at Sydney University, wrote the definitive textbook on this disease.

What is a tragedy is that, although we have the knowledge to eradicate this problem, it is still as common as it was in the first half of this century.

Echinococcus granulosis is a tapeworm of dogs. It is only 4 to 6 mm in length and consists of a head, or scolex, with three or four segments (proglottides).

Each segment has a complete set of both male and female reproductive organs. When the lowest segment is mature, it drops off and the eggs it contains are liberated and pass out with the faeces. A segment may contain up to 1000 eggs and is usually shed every 14 days.

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Toxic shock syndrome is due to infection with the staphylococcus germ, the one popularised as “golden staph”, which produces the particular toxin or poison that caused the symptoms.

It was first described in children in 1978.

It usually has an acute onset with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, muscular aches, a spreading rash followed by collapse or shock.

Some women use tampons because they have a vaginal discharge rather than only when menstruating. It may be worthwhile considering seeing a doctor to determine the cause of the discharge and what can be done to cure it rather than using tampons for protection and putting up with the discharge.

Any serious illness, such as this, with what appears to be a high mortality can frighten women but, so far, the incidence is low and there may be a greater danger of dying in a road accident than from toxic shock syndrome.

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