tropical medicine

tropical medicine,

study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of certain diseases prevalent in the tropics. The warmth and humidity of the tropics and the often unsanitary conditions under which so many people in those areas live contribute to the development and dissemination of many infectious diseases and parasitic infestations. Much has been achieved in combating such typical tropical diseases as yellow feveryellow fever,
acute infectious disease endemic in tropical Africa and many areas of South and Central America. Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in stagnant water near human habitations.
..... Click the link for more information. , amebic dysenterydysentery
, inflammation of the intestine characterized by the frequent passage of feces, usually with blood and mucus. The two most common causes of dysentery are infection with a bacillus (see bacteria) of the Shigella group, and infestation by an ameba,
..... Click the link for more information. , and filariasis (elephantiasiselephantiasis
, abnormal enlargement of any part of the body due to obstruction of the lymphatic channels in the area (see lymphatic system), usually affecting the arms, legs, or external genitals.
..... Click the link for more information. ). Better public health measures and therapeutic agents have assisted in the fight. The World Health Organization and philanthropic foundations have worked with local and international efforts to bring about medical advances. The deployment of American troops in malaria-infested regions spurred the search for more efficient synthetic antimalarial drugs. DDT, introduced in World War II to eradicate the malaria-carrying mosquito, has been found to have lingering toxic effects in the environment, and the persistent use of DDT in China for rice pests has produced DDT-resistant mosquitoes that now carry malaria. Resistance of the malarial parasite to chloroquine and Fansidar, the most widely used drugs for the protection of travelers in the tropics, has made both drugs virtually useless in most of Asia, Africa, and South America. A new drug, mefloquine, is effective in some areas but has many serious side effects. Current research is directed at making a vaccine against malaria. There have also been advances against hookworm, leprosy, and other tropical maladies. The emergence in central Africa of the Ebola virusEbola virus
, a virus of the genus Ebolavirus, which belongs to a family (Filoviridae) of RNA viruses that cause hemorrhagic fevers. The viruses, named for the region in Congo (Kinshasa) where the first species was first identified in 1976, emerged from the rain
..... Click the link for more information. , which exists in an as yet unknown host and is fatal to 50%–90% of those infected, has been especially challenging to medical personnel in underequipped hospitals where outbreaks have occurred.

Tropical Medicine

a branch of medicine concerned with human health in tropical and subtropical regions. It deals with the etiology, diagnosis, therapy, epidemiology, and prevention of tropical diseases, as well as with the prevention of their spread in temperate countries. Other concerns of tropical medicine are adaptation, acclimatization, the clinical course of diseases prevalent in the tropics, and the influence of natural and social factors on the health and susceptibility of inhabitants of tropical regions and of visitors to these regions.

The rapid development and increasing importance of tropical medicine in the second half of the 20th century result from the emergence of many recently independent developing countries in tropical regions and the creation of effective means of preventing and treating many tropical diseases. Modern tropical medicine is no longer a clinical specialty concerned with exotic diseases but a complex branch of medicine that places a strong emphasis on prevention.

The scientific, organizational, and methodological center for tropical medicine in the USSR is the E. I. Martsinovskii Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine in Moscow. Tropical medicine is also studied in republic-level institutes of tropical medicine, in subdepartments of parasitology at institutes for advanced training in medicine, in other scientific establishments in the USSR, and in similar organizations abroad, as well as in the World Health Organization and various other international organizations.

IU. N. TOKAREV

tropical medicine

medicine

[med´ĭ-sin] 1. any drug or remedy.2. the art and science of the diagnosis and treatment of disease and the maintenance of health.3. the nonsurgical treatment of disease.alternative medicine see medicine" >complementary and alternative medicine.aviation medicine the branch of medicine that deals with the physiologic, medical, psychologic, and epidemiologic problems involved in flying.ayurvedic medicine the traditional medicine of India, done according to Hindu scriptures and making use of plants and other healing materials native to India.behavioral medicine a type of psychosomatic medicine focused on psychological means of influencing physical symptoms, such as biofeedback or relaxation.clinical medicine 1. the study of disease by direct examination of the living patient.2. the last two years of the usual curriculum in a medical college.complementary medicine (complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)) a large and diverse set of systems of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention based on philosophies and techniques other than those used in conventional Western medicine, often derived from traditions of medical practice used in other, non-Western cultures. Such practices may be described as alternative, that is, existing as a body separate from and as a replacement for conventional Western medicine, or complementary, that is, used in addition to conventional Western practice. CAM is characterized by its focus on the whole person as a unique individual, on the energy of the body and its influence on health and disease, on the healing power of nature and the mobilization of the body's own resources to heal itself, and on the treatment of the underlying causes, rather than symptoms, of disease. Many of the techniques used are the subject of controversy and have not been validated by controlled studies.emergency medicine the medical specialty that deals with the acutely ill or injured who require immediate medical treatment. See also emergency and care" >emergency care.experimental medicine study of the science of healing diseases based on experimentation in animals.family medicine family practice.forensic medicine the application of medical knowledge to questions of law; see also jurisprudence" >medical jurisprudence. Called also legal medicine.group medicine the practice of medicine by a group of physicians, usually representing various specialties, who are associated together for the cooperative diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.internal medicine the medical specialty that deals with diagnosis and medical treatment of diseases and disorders of internal structures of the body.legal medicine forensic medicine.nuclear medicine the branch of medicine concerned with the use of radionuclides in diagnosis and treatment of disease.patent medicine a drug or remedy protected by a trademark, available without a prescription.physical medicine physiatry.preclinical medicine the subjects studied in medicine before the student observes actual diseases in patients.preventive medicine the branch of medical study and practice aimed at preventing disease and promoting health.proprietary medicine any chemical, drug, or similar preparation used in the treatment of diseases, if such article is protected against free competition as to name, product, composition, or process of manufacture by secrecy, patent, trademark, or copyright, or by other means.psychosomatic medicine the study of the interrelations between bodily processes and emotional life.socialized medicine a system of medical care regulated and controlled by the government; called also state medicine.space medicine the branch of medicine" >aviation medicine concerned with conditions encountered by human beings in space.sports medicine the field of medicine concerned with injuries sustained in athletic endeavors, including their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.state medicine socialized medicine.travel medicine (travelers' medicine) the subspecialty of medicine" >tropical medicine consisting of the diagnosis and treatment or prevention of diseases of travelers.tropical medicine medical science as applied to diseases occurring primarily in the tropics and subtropics.veterinary medicine the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of animals other than humans.

The branch of internal medicine dedicated to the study and management of diseases found primarily in the tropics—in particular parasitic infections, but also ‘exotic’ viral, bacterial and fungal infections

tropical medicine

The branch of internal medicine dedicated to the study and management of diseases found primarily in the tropics–in particular parasitic infections, but also 'exotic' viral, bacterial and fungal infections

trop·i·cal med·i·cine

(trop'ik-ăl med'i-sin) The branch of medicine concerned with diseases, mainly of parasitic origin, in areas having a tropical climate.

tropical medicine

tropical medicine

tropical medicine,

Tropical Medicine

tropical medicine

medicine

tropical medicine

trop·i·cal med·i·cine

tropical medicine

Words related to tropical medicine

noun the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that are found most often in tropical regions

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