Health and Fitness

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever Overview Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family. The CCHF virus causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, with a case fatality rate of 10–40%. CCHF is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asian countries south of the 50th parallel north – the geographical limit of the principal tick vector. The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in animals and ticks The hosts of the CCHF virus include a wide range of wild and domestic animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Many birds are resistant to infection, but ostriches are susceptible and may show a high prevalence of infection in endemic areas, where they have been at the origin of human cases. For example, a former outbreak occurred at an ostrich abattoir in South Africa. There is no apparent disease in these animals. Animals become infected by the bite of infected ticks and the virus remain...

Internet gaming disorder Overview Video game addiction, also called internet gaming disorder, is a condition characterized by severely reduced control over gaming habits, resulting in negative consequences in many aspects of your life, including self-care, relationships, school and work. This condition can include gaming on the internet or any electronic device, but most people who develop significant gaming issues mainly play on the internet. Whether internet and video gaming addiction should be classified as an addiction or mental illness is debated among researchers. Many researchers consider video game addiction a behavioral addiction similar to gambling disorder, in which the rush of winning becomes one of the main reasons for playing. Others think this comparison to gambling is flawed because there may not be financial or material losses involved with playing video games. In addition, winning a video game may require cognitive skills and sharp reflexes, while winning at gambling ...

  Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome Overview Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) is a rare genetic condition that mostly affects males. In SGBS type 1, one of the main features is overgrowth, which is when an individual is larger than expected. This can be seen in overgrowth before birth, where the unborn baby is unusually large, and in overgrowth after birth, where a baby is unusually large. Other physical features that are commonly seen in individuals with SGBS are specific facial features like large forehead, nose, lips, and tongue. Some people with SGBS have an opening in the roof of their mouth (cleft palate). They can also have an opening in the upper lip (cleft lip). People with SGBS can have differences in other parts of their bodies too. Some of the differences that are more commonly seen include having an extra nipple, problems with their bones, and a bulge near the belly button called an umbilical hernia. Having SGBS can also mean that a person has a higher chance of havi...

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) Overview This condition is a rare inherited disorder that happens when genes mutate and primarily affect children’s pancreases, bone marrow and bones. Most of the time, those with the syndrome are diagnosed before they’re a year old, but it may be diagnosed even in young adults. Shwachman-Diamond is a challenging disease to diagnose and treat. It causes several different symptoms and children may have one, several or all of the different symptoms. For example, one child may have pancreas and skeletal issues while another may have bone marrow issues and skeletal. It’s also an unpredictable illness. Children’s symptoms may be mild or severe and may change over time. Most children need a team of medical specialists because Shwachman-Diamond syndrome causes many medical problems. Children with this condition will need life-long medical care, but typically have normal lifespans. However, some children and young adults may develop life-threatening blood cance...

  Kleptomania Overview Kleptomania (klep-toe-MAY-nee-uh) is a mental health disorder that involves repeatedly being unable to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need. Often the items stolen have little value and you could afford to buy them. Kleptomania is rare but can be a serious condition. It can cause much emotional pain to you and your loved ones — and even legal problems — if not treated. Kleptomania is a type of impulse control disorder — a disorder that involves problems with emotional or behavioral self-control. If you have an impulse control disorder, you have difficulty resisting the temptation or powerful urge to perform an act that's excessive or harmful to you or someone else. Many people with kleptomania live lives of secret shame because they're afraid to seek mental health treatment. Although there's no cure for kleptomania, treatment with medicine or skill-building therapy that focuses on dealing with urges may help to end the ...