Thiabendazole (9.126), a benzimidazole, is used to treat strongyloidiasis and trichinosis.
Within the parasite, thiabendazole inhibits an enzyme called fumarate reductase, resulting
in death of the worm. This drug may be carcinogenic or mutagenic to the host.
9.7 The Clinical–Molecular Interface: Pneumonia
Infections can occur in virtually every organ and tissue in the human body: encephali-
tis (brain), otitis media (middle ear), sinusitis (sinus), pharyngitis (throat), bronchitis
(bronchi), pneumonitis (lung), myocarditis (heart), hepatitis (liver), gastroenteritis
(intestine), cholecystitis (gall bladder), nephritis (kidney), cystitis (urinary bladder),
osteitis (bone), and septicemia (blood). The infection may be diffuse (encephalitis of
the brain) or localized (brain abscess). It may be caused by any of the infectious agents:
meningitis may be caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal pathogens. The pathological
consequences of infection may be immediate (meningococcal meningitis, causing rapid
death) or delayed (syphilis, causing brain damage twenty years after the first infection).
Similarly, the pathological ramifications of infections may be direct or indirect; for
example, some researchers have speculated that a chlamydia infection of arteries may
damage the arterial wall, causing atherosclerosis (leading to strokes and heart attacks)
in later years.
Among the various types of infection, pneumonia is one of the most common.
Pneumonia is an infection of lung tissue. Clinically, pneumonia is characterized by fever,
chills, shortness of breath, cough, and sputum production. The amount, viscosity, and
color of the sputum are directly related to the type of organism causing the pneumonia.
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