Tropical sprue
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Tropical sprue On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Symptoms
Signs
Cause
Affected Regions
The disease was first described by William Hillary in 1759 in Barbados. Tropical sprue is endemic to India and southeast Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
Treatment
Once diagnosed, tropical sprue can be treated by a course of the antibiotic tetracycline and vitamins B12 and folic acid for at least 6 months.
Prevention
Preventions of tropical sprue include avoiding travel to the affected regions.
If you have to travel, remember to use only bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, and washing food. Do not eat fruits that have been washed with tap water or limit yourself to fruits that can be peeled, such as banana and oranges.
Prognosis
The prognosis for tropical sprue is excellent. It usually does not recur in patients who get it during travel to affected regions. The recurrence rate for natives is about 20%.
External links
- InteliHealth - Tropical Sprue
- Sprue, Tropical at eMedicine
- Health In Plain English - Tropical Sprue
- Merck Manual - Malabsorption Syndromes: Tropical Sprue
- MedlinePlus Encyclopedia Tropical sprue
- Template:DiseasesDB