Healthpedia

Zinc Deficiency

Zoonosis

 

Zinc Deficiency

 

Definition:

Zinc is an essential trace element present in the bones, teeth, hair, skin, testes, liver, and muscles. It also forms a vital component of many enzymes. It promotes synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (Meaning of DNA: one of two types of molecules that encodes genetic information). The Recommended Dietary Allowances of zinc are 12 milligrams per day for women and 10 milligrams per day for men.

Zinc deficiency results from an inadequate intake of foods high in zinc. The disorder is most common in underdeveloped countries, especially in the Middle East. Meat, liver, eggs, and seafood (especially oysters) are good sources of dietary zinc.

 

Who is at risk?

1. Children who are in the stage of rapid growth. It can occasionally result from blood loss caused by intestinal parasites;
2. People suffering from impaired absorption caused by short bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease or pancreatic insufficiency. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as well;
3. People suffering from alcohol abuse, cirrhosis, dialysis, burns, draining wounds, and corticosteroids;
4. People on parenteral nutrition. They do not feed through the alimentary canal but rather by injection through some other route like intravenous feeding;
5. People who have excessive intake of foods containing iron, calcium, Vitamin D, and the fiber and phytates in cereals;
6. Patients with cirrhosis.

 

Symptoms:

Deficiency of zinc is associated with:

• Poor growth and short stature
• Anaemia
• Increased pigmentation of skin
• Dermatitis
• Alopecia
• Enlarged liver and spleen
• Impaired gonadal and sexual function
• Impaired and poor wound healing
• Immune deficiency
• Protein malnutrition.

In a genetic disease called acrodermatitis enteropathica, there is impaired zinc uptake from the intestine. The condition is characterized by:

• Simultaneous presence of dermatitis (skin inflammation) and diarrhea
• Skin on the cheeks, elbows and knees and the tissues about the mouth and anus are inflamed
• Balding of the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes
• Wound healing is delayed
• Recurrent bacterial and fungal infections due to immune deficiency

 

Treatment:

The diagnosis needs to be confirmed with blood tests for plasma zinc levels. Once confirmed, the deficiency can be treated with zinc supplements.

 

Prevention:

A balanced diet containing seafood, oatmeal, bran meat, eggs, nuts and dry yeast provides a rich source of zinc and prevent deficiency. The use of calcium and iron supplements needs to be correct, so as not to hinder the absorption of zinc.

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Zoonosis

 

Definition:

A zoonosis is an infectious disease of animals that can be transmitted to humans. Examples are rabies (Meaning: a potentially fatal viral infection that attacks the central nervous system by virus carried primarily by wild animals), Q fever (Meaning: an acute febrile illness due to bacteria primarily found in cattle, sheep and goats) and the plague (Meaning: an infectious disease due to a bacteria called Yersinia pestis which mainly infects rats and other rodents). Bird flu is another recent example. A zoonosis can be caused by a virus, a bacterium, a parasite, or just a protein.

 

Who is at risk?

This would depend on the mode of transmission of the infectious disease. Very often the following groups of people are at highest risk:

1. Those in frequent direct contact with animals as part of their daily work, such as veterinary surgeons and assistants, farmers and workers in slaughter houses.
2. Those who keep animals as pets at home.
3. Those frequently engage in outdoor activities in the wild, and hence are exposed to wild animals.
4. Mosquitoes, fleas and ticks that feed on animal blood may transmit diseases from animals to humans. Thus those exposed to insect bites are also at risk of catching zoonotic diseases.

 

Symptoms:

• Fever. Suspicions should be raised when there is a history of exposure at work or travels
• Some may have peculiar fever pattern, such as malaria, an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites transmitted by the sting of the Anopheles mosquito. A careful record of body temperature can be very helpful to verify
• Skin rash
• Swelling of the lymphatic glands

 

Treatment:

When caused by parasites and bacteria, appropriate drugs such as antibiotics can cure a zoonosis if diagnosed early enough. There are only a few effective anti-viral drugs available. It is only in a few exceptions when effective treatments are available for zoonotic diseases caused by viruses. The principle is to use medicine to support the patient and treat the symptoms, so as to allow time for the patient's immune system to get rid of the virus.

 

Prevention:

1. Avoid close contact with animals, especially those in the wild.
2. Food originated from livestock and poultry should be processed with the highest hygienic standard possible. This also applies to dairy products.
3. If you work with animals, take advice to receive appropriate vaccines against preventable zoonotic diseases such as rabies.
4. Always take measures to prevent insect or mosquito bites in the open air.
5. Seek advice from your doctor if you need to travel to an area where there is a suspected outbreak.
6. If you feel unwell after contact with animals, take note of where and when and tell your doctor about your worries.

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