01-12-2018, 07:20 AM
http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-ne...ound-globe
“It’s very striking how severe (rat lungworm) is here in Hilo,” said Kenton Kramer, a task force member and associate professor in the Department of Tropical Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
People who develop rat lungworm in Puna and Hilo typically get very sick, whereas people afflicted elsewhere on the planet are usually affected short-term and more mildly.
The task force was created by Gov. David Ige in 2016 to get independent input about the disease.
Members took time to meet with journalists this week in East Hawaii after returning recently from international travel seeking to learn how health providers in other countries treat rat lungworm disease.
The task force attended Tuesday night’s Pahoa support group meeting for rat lungworm survivors. They also visited an aquaponics farm that’s been struggling to prevent slugs from getting in.
They gained new recognition that the disease caused by the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis will need different treatment protocols in Hawaii than in other countries.
“All of the victims of rat lungworm disease should have a neurological consult early, and it’s looking like we should follow them over time,” said Dr. Vernon Ansdell, chair of a task force subcommittee working to develop guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.
Good thing they spent the research money on public service ads that they now realize were not based on anything scientific.
“It’s very striking how severe (rat lungworm) is here in Hilo,” said Kenton Kramer, a task force member and associate professor in the Department of Tropical Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
People who develop rat lungworm in Puna and Hilo typically get very sick, whereas people afflicted elsewhere on the planet are usually affected short-term and more mildly.
The task force was created by Gov. David Ige in 2016 to get independent input about the disease.
Members took time to meet with journalists this week in East Hawaii after returning recently from international travel seeking to learn how health providers in other countries treat rat lungworm disease.
The task force attended Tuesday night’s Pahoa support group meeting for rat lungworm survivors. They also visited an aquaponics farm that’s been struggling to prevent slugs from getting in.
They gained new recognition that the disease caused by the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis will need different treatment protocols in Hawaii than in other countries.
“All of the victims of rat lungworm disease should have a neurological consult early, and it’s looking like we should follow them over time,” said Dr. Vernon Ansdell, chair of a task force subcommittee working to develop guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.
Good thing they spent the research money on public service ads that they now realize were not based on anything scientific.