You mention both a fluffy white coat on the fish and brown patches or spots as well as the lazy-like behavior. The behavior is common to a sick fish and the clamped fins indicate stress or in this case illness. Two potential diseases come to mind and both should be treated in a similar fashion so the difference isn’t really important.

I’m not familiar with Gold Disease Safe and Interpet is terrible about not giving active ingredients to their medications, but I do know many people have reported good success using their products.

Look closely at your fish with a flashlight and see if you can see a gold to rust colored shine in the white coating. It can be hard to see on a goldfish, as they naturally have a shine very similar to the color you are looking for, but it would probably stand out as a little different and may be most noticable around the brown patches or on the gill plates. If you see this, them assume you have a disease called velvet in the tank. To aid in the treatment of velvet, keep the lights in the tank off and if possible cover the tank for the next few days so that less light can enter the tank. Beyond that, continue treating as the directions indicate on the package and keep the carbon out of the filter. If you see no improvement in the next few days, try treating the tank with copper. It should be available at most pet shops.

Best of luck to you and your fish and if I can help further feel free to email me.

MM

Leishmaniasis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Definition

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by obligate intracellular protozoa that belong to the genus Leishmania and is spread by the bite of some species of sand fly .there are about 21 of 30 species that infect human. There are numerous kinds of leishmaniasis but the two most common kinds of Leishmaniasis are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which produces skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis , which impact on some of the internal parts of the body such as spleen, liver & bone marrow.This disease is also called as sandfly disease,leichmaniosis, kala azar , black fever , dum dum fever or espundia .

Leishmaniasis is commonly recognized for its cutaneous kind which produces non-fatal, disfiguring injury. Leishmania infection can produce skin disease known as cutaneous leishmaniasis. It can impact on the mucous membranes with a numerous range of occurrence, mostly it cause ulcers . It may produce skin wound that appear like those of other diseases such as hansen’s disease, cutaneous tuberculosis , syphilis , skin cancer and fungal infections.

Causes

Leishmania are tiny protozoa . Their parasitic life cycle contains the blood sucking females i.e. sandflies and the right host. Humans are one such host. Leishmania infection can produce ulcers, skin disease & also cause  systemic disease .

When injected into the body by the bite of a sandfly, the parasite migrates to the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes where it transform into amastigotes. Amastigotes grow in infected cells and affect different tissues , damage the immune system by reducing the numbers of disease fighting cells.

There are four main kinds of leishmaniasis:

• Mucocutaneous- leishmaniasis – Which begins with skin ulcers & its movement produces tissue damage to mouth & nose .

• Visceral- leishmaniasis – the most complex kind and potentially critical

  if uncured.

• Cutaneous- leishmaniasis – the most general kind which produces number of sores on the skin.

• Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis – this kind causes widespread skin injury which resemble Hansen’s disease and is particularly difficult to cure.

Symptoms

The symptoms occurs after exposure to the bite of sandflies the skin may become thin grayish, dark,ashen, dry & flaky. The parasites harm the immune system by decreasing the numbers of white blood cells so death generally results from complications rather than from the disease itself. Death generally occurs within 2 years.

Symptoms of common leishmaniasis are:

• Exposure to the bite of sandflies
• Irregularly fever up to long duration .
• Sleep hyperhidrosis
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Loss of Appetite
• Loss of Weight
• Abdominal disorder
• Vomiting
• Cough
• Scaly skin
• Loose bowels
• Thinning hair

Symptoms of cutaneous leishmaniasis are:

• Erythematous .
• Skin ulcer.
• Satellite injury.

Symptoms on mucous membranes are:

• Stuffy nose.
• Runny nose.
• Nose bleeding.
• Ulcers of tissue.
• Difficulty in swallowing .
• Breathing disorder.

Treatments

Plastic surgery may be need to correct an appearance that has been spoiled by mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Withdrawal of the splenectomy may be needed in drug-resistant conditions.

Compound containing antimony are the main treatment to cure leishmaniasis. These drugs are:

• Sodium stibogluconate
• Meglumine antimonate

There are some other drugs that may be used such as:

• Amphotericin B
• Pentamidine

Steve Mathew
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/leishmaniasis-definition-causes-symptoms-and-treatment-91326.html

Amebiasis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Definition

Amoebiasis is an infection of the large intestine caused by a protozoan , or we can say is an intestinal disease caused by an unicelled organism very tiny in size to be seen by the unaided eye but large enough to be studied under a microscope. There are number of species of amoebae can exist as parasites inside the human intestines, but only one is known to result a disease called- E. histolytica. It is one of the waterborne diseases , generally contracted by consuming water or food polluted by amoebic cysts .Amoebiasis most commonly occurs in between young to middle-aged persons.

Amoebiasis can be travel from hand-to-mouth contact with surfaces or objects contaminated with stool from an infected person.The parasite can adulterate fruits and vegetables grown in areas where human feces is used as fertilizer.About1,000 cases are reported each year in New York State caused by Amebiasis.

Causes

Amebiasis is most generally existing in tropical and subtropical countries where standards of public hygiene and sanitation may be low. Amebiasis is occurred by protozoa, is common causes of diarrhea in travelers.The infection can also spread via the blood to the liver and rarely, to the lungs, brain or other organs.

The risk for happening amebiasis infection is greatest for those who reside in or visit rural areas, spend time in back country areas, or eat or drink in settings of poor sanitation.It occurs most generally by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

Entamoeba histolytica live a life in two ways:

• Trophozoite is an operative parasite.It may not be lived out side the body.
• Cyst is a inactive parasite.It may be lived out side the body.

Infection starts when cysts are inhaled. The cysts hatch, releasing trophozoites that multiply,leads to ulcers on the lining of the intestine, and cause diarrhea.Cyst’s can be contaminated directly from person to person or indirectly through food or water.

Symptoms

When amoebas moved to the liver and result liver abscess, problems can include vomiting,fever, nausea,abdominal pain , weight loss and an enlarged liver .There may complaint of pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen that starts gradually, with frequent loose or watery bowel movements.

There may be possibility for a person to develop symptoms of an amoebic liver abscess without ever having had the diarrhea typical of infection.

Symptoms take generally few weeks to multiply and observable themselves .There may be some symptoms occurred with amebiasis which lead to fever, chills, and diarrhea that retains blood or mucus. This is known as dysentery , and can lead to disorders such as dehydration .

There are some related causes including diarrhea , vomiting , abdominal pain or discomfort and fever .

Infections that sometimes exist for years may be attended by vague gastrointestinal distress & dysentery with blood and mucus.

Treatments

Amoebas generally occurs from contaminate food and water.So never eat uncooked foods without peeling them first. In high-risk areas, avoid food that can’t be cooked or peeled.

By boiling the water for at least 5 to 10 minutes or by drinking bottled water. Because amoebas may also contaminate the outside skins of fresh fruits & vegetables

An anti microbial medication is one of the treatment that generally cure amebiasis. All children with E. histolytica in their fecal matters should be cured with oral antimicrobial medications .

Oral rehydration solution-ORS should be use to prevent dehydration.It is used to provide a substitute for lost body fluids, especially if the diarrhea has been going on for longer than 2 or 3 days.

In case of amebic dysentery:

• Metronidazole should be use as a remedy by taking 800 mg three times in a day upto 5 days
• Tinidazole is also used as an alternative to metronidazole by using 2 gm once in a day up to 3 days .
• Diloxanide furoate is also effective when using 500 mg three times in a day up to 10 days.

In case amebic liver abscess:

• Metronidazole should be use as a treatment when using 400 mg three times in a day upto 10 days.
• Tinidazole is also used as an alternative to metronidazole by using 2 gm once in a day up to 6 days.
• Diloxanide furoate is also effective when using 500 mg three times in a day for 10 days .

Careful selection of food and drink and attention to hygiene are recommended to ebb the risk of infection.

Steve Mathew
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/amebiasis-definition-causes-symptoms-and-treatment-89029.html