My Stupid, Selfish Friend

[racoony]

My friend came round to my house in March with trachoma.It's an infectious eye disease that leads to blindness.After she left I swabbed everything she had touched.She then went on holiday to Greece with 2 neighbours.Heaven know how many people she has infected.I can't bear to speak to her for being so stupid and selfish.She is a rretired nurse!!

[barry1010]

What country do you live in?

[barry1010]

Did she tell you she had it as she was leaving?

[racoony]

I live in the UK.She told me about 5 minutes after she arrived.I was stunned and said nothing about it.

[sunny-dave]

I'd have asked her for proof that she was no longer infectious, and asked her to leave if she couldn't (or wouldn't) produce it.

[barry1010]

I am very surprised as that condition isn't common in the UK.
I donate to a charity that treats people in third world countries for that.
I may be a notifiable disease here. I wonder how your friend caught it

[racoony]

I have no idea how she caught it.By now she should have had both eyes operated on.My problem is I am so cross with her that I don't want to see her again.

[barry1010]

It's treated with antibiotics, usually a cream.

[Peter Pedant]

I am very surprised as that condition isn't common in the UK.
I dont think there is england recorded transfer

very common in africa - as an infection - it causes indrawing of the eye lashes. Three snip operation is done to evert the eyelid
( I have read and retained my LadyBird book of tropical eye diseases)

treat the infection with TC eye drops - and scarring has to be done operatively

and so.....

I think she has GLAUCOMA - and the operation she needs is different

well that is my take on it

[Peter Pedant]

and bonus factoid
1815 - rash of founding of eye hospitals - et en France
because.... geddit?
they all brought it back from Egypt ( trachoma that is!)
( and nothing cd be done then)

I mean you get it from flies crawling over everything

[Peter Pedant]

and another completely out of it factoid

Ma daydy was a student with a fella called Halberstam. He along with countless other med students were refugees. He didnt like his Jewish name ( Halbertstaedter) in his new life and changed it.
oo - v bad - denial of identity

and ma daydy said " that is not right, his father or g father was a famous ophthalmologist ( long for eye doctor) who described trachoma innit"

and indeed he did

in the slides , you see inclusion bodies called HPK
Halbertstaedter-Prowacek Korporchen

see here

https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Halberstaedter-Prowazek+bodies

just incredz what you learn when the mods dont delete my posts on AB on a Friday, innit?

how do I know all this? - I have a long memory

[barry1010]

I suppose glaucoma and trachoma can sound similar.

How long does trachoma have to go untreated before surgery is necessary? I thought it was more than a year.
If antibiotics are given soon enough no operation is required.

At least glaucoma isn't contagious.

[Peter Pedant]

they all have trachomy in childhood
scarring is an adult thing

another incredz factoid

Prowacek described typhus ( until then commonly confused with typhoid) - and promptly died from it ! Here he is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislaus_von_Prowazek
and soon after the Weil Felix reaction was described for typhus

The test was developed upon the observation that certain serotypes of Proteus bacteria display antigenic cross-reactivity with Rickettsia species.

"blood from typhus will spark positive if test against proteus"

and so and so - 1945 - march of the prison camps across europe. Think concentration camps? no everyone was on the move

( o god this is not too rich for AB ?- 25% the editor assures me, have heard of World War II altho of those 10% think it was terminated by Waterloo in 1915)

BUT you cd stop the moving by an awful infectious disease. Germans may get it. no movey. How to get typhus? no one volunteered. Easy said my father just give a ration box to any Russian and they will get pints of positive blood. Some very fit Tommies were put to bed with positive Weil Felix's. German guards were doubtful

BUT what did one enterprising doctor do?
Immunise with proteus reagent - that will spark positive because they were proteus+ but will LOOK like a positive Weil Felix

OK ABers - you may all now foo and scream "what dat den"
and "any idea what world war 2 is?" and "is prowacek a place or a person? and in short the usual