Primary Health Care Guide to Common UK Parasitic Diseases

First Edition 1998

ISBN: 0 9533144 05

Edited by

José Figueroa
Susan Hall
Joanna Ibarra

"It is a problem that a coherent public health strategy to deal with parasitic disease is not in place. In its absence, training of health care professionals is patchy and often under-researched. Inappropriate and expensive responses occur in these circumstances. It is the purpose of this Guide to assist by filling this gap. It proposes to offer 'off the shelf' answers to enable health workers to care for patients presenting with parasitic disease, within the context of an overall eradication strategy."

The Primary Health Care Guide to Common UK Parasitic Diseases is an authoritative, comprehensive source of guidance on pediculosis, scabies, toxocariasis and toxoplasmosis.

It offers easy-reference, practical advice on prevention, recognition and effective management within the context of an overall eradication strategy.

This unique guide will appeal to any member of the primary health care team seeking 'state of the art' information on the key issues in the control of common parasites. It has a place on the shelves in all community health settings and the health section of any library.

The publication of the Guide has been greeted with enthusiasm by the UK Department of Health, community paediatrician Prof David Hall (Chair of the UK Working Party on Child Health Surveillance) describes it as "superb" and parasitologist Prof Keith Snow (Head of Department of Environmental Sciences & Mathematics, University of East London) as "excellent" and predicts it will be "welcomed by a wide audience".

We feel that the section on head lice (by Joanna Ibarra) completes a full range of practical help of value to everyone from high-power academics to 'ordinary' parents and their children. The section on toxocariasis is complemented by the Worm Watch resources we produce. A photocopiable leaflet in the Guide itself provides information on 'How to avoid toxoplasmosis' (by Dr Susan Hall). The well-illustrated scabies section by Dr José Figueroa is proving indispensable to the community nurses learning to diagnose the condition for which they are now permitted to prescribe.

• Information you need to underpin a cost and time effective approach overcoming the disruption caused by parasites commonly affecting the UK population.
• 75 pages text plus introduction, user-friendly ring-bound, attractive design.
• Sections on solving the head louse problem, plus sections on crab and clothing lice, on scabies and a further section on pesticides for topical use; sections on toxocariasis and toxoplasmosis; comprehensive glossary; photocopiable educational leaflets.