Thousands in Gulf Suffer from Misdiagnosed Skin Lesions

Symptoms experienced by Gulf residents may be the result of exposure to chemical dispersants

July 30, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Christina Gagnier

T: 909.576.1411

Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana—Area residents have begun to show up at clinics and hospitals with mysterious scabs and pustules covering their extremities, as reported from residents to non-profit relief organizations in the Gulf.

One thirty-three year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, has disclosed to Project Gulf Impact that upon seeking medical advice at a clinic, she was told she had scabies. Hours later, she was told by an area hospital that she had a staph infection. The woman was treated with a shot of penicillin and Elimite cream, a topical agent for the treatment of scabies mite infestations, and an oral antibiotic. In addition to the lesions, the woman reported aching bones, weight loss, stomach pains, inflammation in her leg and sties developing in her eyes.

Full report: http://www.projectgulfimpact.org/?post_type=pressReleases&p=132#