Tungiasis: "The unusual case of a Little Girl of Buenos Aires"
Are Argentine Scientists Out of Date?
Isotopic Phenomenon: Unexpected Evolution?
Scientific-Educational Podcast Project.
Author: Jorge Mejías Acosta. Independent Researcher. Medical Biology.
Code: 2012076157173. All Rights Reserved.
Sharing is permitted. Partial publication in any format is prohibited.
According to an article published in the Argentine Journal of Dermatology, October - December 2019 | Vol. 100 N°4, which begins with the following introduction:
"We present the case of a 5-year-old girl, from the southern area of Greater Buenos Aires, who vacationed on Caribbean beaches and upon her return presented lesions consistent with bites from Tunga penetrans, which subsequently evolved unexpectedly through the appearance of an isotopic phenomenon. This describes the appearance of new lesions in the same location, in this case with the formation of pyogenic granulomas."
Journalist: Mr. Mejías, what does "isotopic phenomenon" mean?
JBMA: Well... I suppose it refers to an unexpected chemical reaction.
Journalist: Is this scientific assessment relevant?
JBMA: Not in this case, and it's far from being a serious evaluation.
Journalist: Please explain.
JBMA: Sure... first, let's demystify some concepts.
Journalist: Alright. Let's start from the beginning. I quote: "The infestation is favored by bad habits, such as walking barefoot" (...).
JBMA: It can't be from walking. It makes no sense. It is the permanence in contaminated areas.
Journalist: Barefoot?
JBMA: Not necessarily. Even with shoes, fleas will get in.
Journalist: With shoes?
JBMA: Yes, because they are climbers. Capable of activating an efficient and combined movement in a very short time. After a large initial vertical jump, they perform short runs and small linear jumps.
Journalist: Mr. Mejías, in the photos several bites can be observed.
JBMA: They aren't bites, they are penetrations. They penetrate, place their heads on the veins of the feet, and then bite to feed.
Journalist: It is evident that several entered.
JBMA: That's right.
Journalist: But the scientific article states that it was a single female flea that entered. I quote: "The clinical condition is produced exclusively by the female flea (...). After mating on the ground (...), the fertilized female burrows into the upper dermis and expels the eggs to the outside (...). The eggs hatch on the ground and go through their larval cycle until becoming adult parasites." Is this statement true?
JBMA: That's not true. I have long been reporting that these theories defend a model of tungiasis that does not correspond to reality. T. penetrans has the persistent habit of creating nests everywhere. Despite this, it is a mother who takes care of her eggs.
Therefore, we have:
1. Internal nests:
After penetrating the skin, it deposits its eggs inside the folds of tissues attached to the system.
2. External nests:
After establishing an external nest, it deposits its eggs inside it.
Journalist: External nests?
JBMA: Yes. T. penetrans specializes in collecting environmental information. It possesses a highly developed sensory system that serves as its language. Its chemoreceptor sensilla have the particularity of detecting the odor of the pheromone. For that reason, they use the "follow the leader" system!
Journalist: Shall we follow the leader?
JBMA: Yes. The leader flea, when inviting its male suitors and other females to mate, impregnates its sensilium with pheromones; and as it moves forward, it leaves a chemical trail that the rest follow so as not to get lost.
Journalist: So, it’s not just a single flea as claimed. There are several. They entered as a group, and the "papules" shown are not bites, but penetrations. From this, it can be deduced that there is one flea in each of them. Isn't that right?
JBMA: They are definitely "granulomas" in formation. Potential larval reservoirs, since the copulation, in this case, occurred inside the host.
Journalist: Mr. Mejías, moving on to the main topic. According to the article, a "isotopic phenomenon" occurred in the lesion from which the flea was extracted. Could you explain what is behind all of this?
JBMA: There is no such unexpected reaction. What they call the "isotopic phenomenon" is actually a double penetration, a circumstance inherent to tungiasis. This happens because another flea penetrated the "remission lesion" full of lymphatic residues where the remains of the removed flea were, causing another infection.
It can be explained as follows:
1. Reservoir recycling:
T. penetrans is an opportunistic animal that easily adapts to the characteristics of its environment. To penetrate, they develop a great effort, so they prefer to seek for recent wounds, scars, pores, fissures, and natural corridors to enter.
2. Food source:
T. penetrans not only feeds on blood; it also consumes bodily fluids.
Journalist: Fluids?
JBMA: Yes. I am referring to the tissue fluid secreted by the body after an injury to the dermis. These fluids, mixed with blood, are attractive to T. penetrans, and also promote the development of larvae.
Journalist: Is there a possibility that these penetrations will not become reservoirs?
JBMA: It's possible. Tungiasis is a dynamic disease. It does not self-regulate as scientists claim; rather, it masks itself by presenting as asymptomatic.
Journalist: Mr. Mejías, in the other "papules" no anatomical elements of the parasite or eggs were observed...
JBMA: Argentina does not have the necessary medical technology to determine that. They are very small insects of various sizes. They are penetrative, tend to hide, and are not always on the surface. Thank God we can observe the effect they produce!
Journalist: But there was medical treatment. I quote: (...) Ivermectin treatment at 200 micrograms/kg was administered, repeated ten days later, along with topical thiabendazole and oral antibiotics therapy (...).
JBMA: That treatment is routine. All doctors apply it, but it is not effective.
Journalist: What about ivermectin?
JBMA: Ivermectin is a toxic molecule that inhibits the motor and sensory functions of certain parasitic insects. Unfortunately, it has not proven effective against tungiasis.
Journalist: What will happen to the girl?
JBMA: Undoubtedly, "the appearance of new lesions in the same location with the formation of pyogenic granulomas" is the mark left by tungiasis on the girl's foot dorsum.
T. penetrans never leaves the body of a host; it considers it its own home. To bind them for life, it contaminates the spaces where its victim lives. I assure you that if among those fleas there is a male and a female, they will establish in the legs; and over time, they will spread throughout the body.
Journalist: Mr. Mejías, are these imported cases?
JBMA: It could be the cases they have handled, but the reality is different. I have a line of communication with affected by tungiasis all over the world. I know there are many people facing this issue in Argentina.
Tungiasis is spreading through the cities. It is advancing along the dirty streets of Buenos Aires. Citizens are unprotected. There are no medical protocols in hospitals, and it is impossible to file a complaint. In these cases, the prosecutor's action depends on the opinions of outdated experts.
Journalist: So, how to solve this dilemma?
JBMA: Better ask Argentine scientists. With their discriminatory theory, adapted to a rich tourist, have contributed to stop the will of true researchers to develop an effective medicine that allows to control this terrible disease. Thousands of children die from it every year!
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