Skin Mites Treatment

'Peanut patch' aims to desensitize those with severe allergy

The experimental treatment is based on desensitization, a method that exposes patients to minute doses of an allergen to help them develop tolerance without triggering immune reactions.

The peanut patch is in clinical trials at research centres in France and the United States, including Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and National Jewish Health in Denver, Colo.

Results of the safety trials will be released this September, according to a statement from DBV Technologies, the Paris-based company that developed the Viaskin Peanut patch.

Desensitization is a proven treatment for respiratory allergies caused by pollen and dust mites. Patients receive tiny amounts of allergens via injections or drops placed under the tongue, and in most cases their symptoms become milder over time.

Conventional desensitization treatments are dangerous for patients with food allergies, however, since they are at increased risk of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions when the allergen enters the bloodstream.

To minimize the risk, the peanut patch presents the allergen to the skin’s Langerhans cells (which regulate immune reactions) while preventing its passage through the skin, according to DBV Technologies. Unlike drops and injections, the peanut patch can be removed to halt treatment instantly.

In addition to the peanut patch, DBV is testing a patch to treat milk allergy. A pilot study conducted in France found that after three months of treatment, five out of nine patients with severe milk allergy were able to ingest small amounts of milk proteins without symptoms.

About 2.5 million Canadians suffer from a significant food allergy, according to a survey published in June, 2010, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Almost 2 per cent of Canadians may be allergic to peanuts, the study found.

Desensitization for people with peanut allergy remains a highly experimental therapy, says Donald Stark, a clinical allergist at the University of British Columbia.

He said in 1996, a U.S. study in which children were injected with peanut extract ended after a child had a fatal reaction, dying within seconds. “And that was in the clinic,” Dr. Stark said.

Nevertheless, recent peanut desensitization studies have been promising.

In a study published in February, 2011, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers at Duke University Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital administered increasing doses of peanut extract in drops under the tongues of nine children with peanut allergy. After 12 months of treatment, the patients could safely consume 20 times more peanut protein (about 1,700 micrograms) than a control group.

Dog Fleas, Mites, Lice and Flies

Fleas: Fleas are common, but potentially dangerous, parasites. They are wingless jumpers that infest the skin and fur, though they do not usually live exclusively on dogs. They can be found in carpets, couches and other areas of home, leaving black and white eggs and feces on the skin, bed, furniture and rugs. They multiply extremely fast (adults can hatch a new set of nearly once a week) and will cause disease on anything they touch. Aside from carrying disease, they also cause allergies, raw skin, blood loss, and itching and hair loss. Fleas are difficult to remove from your pet at home, so prevention is the best course of action. A flea collar only protects the head and neck, while sprays, dips and powders treat the whole body. It is enough, however, to only treat the dog. Your entire home will need protection and cleaning. Vacuuming removes some, but not all, fleas and thorough washing will usually be needed on furniture and carpet. If the entire house is infested; a full-scale fumigation is usually called for. Although you can usually manage a flea infestation yourself, veterinary care is needed if the dog has an allergic reaction or shows signs of illness. The once-a-month flea preventive is an excellent,

Inexpensive means of controlling fleas on dogs.

Mites: Mites can live anywhere on the skin of dogs. Ear mites cause painful, swollen ears. There are easy to diagnose and treatment is virtually 100% effective. Generalized mite infections, like scabies and démodé tic mange, can be particular, serious and must be treated with correct medication, in the right form and for the proper amount of time.

Lice: The lice that infect dogs are the same lice that attack people. These small, ight-colored parasites live on the skin and fur. There they nest eggs and gain nourishment. A vigorous bath with insecticide will remove them. People in contact with the dog should also be treated for infection.

Flies: Flies and fly bites can create itching and sore skin. Worse, flies can lay eggs and create maggots, which feed on flesh (especially wounds or in the ears). To prevent these problems, clean all cuts and wounds cut away matted fur areas and use an insect repellent when you travel into outdoor areas that have high insect populations.

Most flea, mite, lice and fly infestations can be treated without damage to your dog. Do not delay treatment, however, since easy problems can become worse quirky.

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