Treatment of larva migrans syndrome with long-term administration of albendazole

Background: Larva migrans syndrome is a food-borne parasitic disease in humans, caused by accidental ingestion of eggs or larvae of ascarid nematodes, namely, Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, or Ascaris suum, the roundworms commonly found in the intestines of dogs, cats and pigs respectively. When a patient is diagnosed as having larva migrans syndrome, oral-administration of albendazole is recommended, however, the regimen remains controversial worldwide. In Japan, the duration of albendazole administration is longer than those of European and North American countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of long-term administration treatment of albendazole for larva migrans syndrome. Methods: From 2004 to 2014, our laboratory was involved in the diagnosis of 758 larva migrans syndrome cases, of which 299 cases could be followed up after the treatment. We analyzed these 299 follow-up cases on the ELISA results before and after the treatment as well as on anthelmintic used, dose and duration of medication, clinical findings, and side effects, recorded on a consultation sheet provided by the attending physicians. We have 288 cases as the subjects of this study. Results: Albendazole represented a 78.0% efficacy rate. The side effects represented 15.0% in using albendazole alone cases; however, the side effects were mild to moderate and there were no severe cases reported. Conclusions: The long-term administration treatment of albendazole is safe and effective for larva migrans syndrome. Keywords: Albendazole, Larva migrans syndrome, Ascaris suum, Toxocara canis, Toxocara cat

An Analysis of Junior High School English Textbooks from the Viewpoint of Communication.

現行の中学校用英語教科書(4種)に含まれる個々の英文について、その発話コンテクストや発話・談話機能などを詳細に分析することによって、教科書の中でのコミュニケーションの成立状況を調査した。どの教科書においても、日本人中学生が主要な登場人物に設定してあり、日本人および中学生を意識した教科書作りがなされている。ただ、発話条件が特定されないものもかなりあり、改善の余地が残されている。また、日本人が発信する場合も数多く設定されており、発信型英語教育への転換が十分に意識されているが、対話の構造自体は一方が話しかけ、他方が受け答えるという単純な形が多く、もっと変化に富んだ対話が望まれる