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Lota Skin Disease

The scientific name for lota skin disease is pinta, which is derived from Spanish means the painted or spotted one. It is no surprise then that Christopher Columbus' ship, the Pinta, which left Spain in August 1492 bound for the Americas, indicates the population scope that this disease affects: the Caribbean and South and Central America.

  1. Symptoms of Lota

    • Blue, black or light spots in dark-complexioned people of African descent and pink, red or dark-brown blotches in fair-complexioned individuals are symptomatic of lota or pinta. The discolorations are non-malignant; however, they are likely to get wider as time passes and as the stages advance. One can have primary, secondary or tertiary pinta with corresponding levels of seriousness. In the early stage, a miniscule lesion can be detected on the legs, and after incubation and rapid proliferation, the leg regions can become covered. The disease attacks young children and those at the height of vulnerability are young children to 30-year-old adults. In severe cases, disfigurement occurs.

    Prevention of Lota

    • The lota disease is very contagious, so skin contact should be avoided. Prime carriers of lota are insects. Insects transfer the disease and open the skin to receive the bacterium. With the infestation of mosquitoes and other insects in hot climates, lota is apt to be widely transmitted. In such a case, insecticides, mosquito repellents or vaccinations are feasible preventative measures against lota. Sometimes improper hygiene results in and spreads lota, so a good clean-up should minimize, if not solve, the issue.

    Treatment

    • The prescribed treatments for lota are benzathine penicillin, erythromycin antibiotics and tetracycline antibiotics. Dosages of those medicines can turn around conditions in a matter of 24 hours. Certain soaps containing these ingredients are also helpful in getting rid of the spots.

    Other Related Skin Diseases

    • Other diseases that produce the same symptoms of lota are syphilis and tinea versicolor. Skin discoloration, itching and lesions are common dermal conditions that come with these diseases. The reason for the striking similarities lies in the root cause, the Treponema pallidum bacterium, which causes syphilis. Yaws and bejel are other skin disorders for which this bacterium is responsible. Tinea versicolor causes discolored yeast-infected spots on the face, back, chest, arms and neck. Its prevalence is also in tropical, torrid climates.

    Location of lota

    • Lota is more focused in the rural and poverty-stricken regions of South American and Central American countries. Currently there is no threat of pinta infections in the United States. From the 1950s to the 1980s lota infections were more rampant; however, the incidences have decreased dramatically due to education and vaccinations.

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