Schistosomiasis

This article is about the disease. For the organism, see Schistosoma.

Schistosomiasis
Other namesBilharzia, snail fever, Katayama fever[1][2]
11-year-old boy with abdominal fluid and portal hypertension due to schistosomiasis (Agusan del Sur, Philippines)
Pronunciation
SpecialtyInfectious disease
SymptomsAbdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, blood in the urine[5]
ComplicationsLiver damage, cirrhosis, kidney failure, infertility (both male and female), bladder calcification, urethral obstruction, nephrotic syndrome, bladder cancer[5]
CausesSchistosomes from freshwater snails[5]
Diagnostic methodFinding eggs of the parasite in urine or stool, antibodies in blood[5]
PreventionAccess to clean water[5]
MedicationPraziquantel[5]
Frequency252 million (2015)[6]
Deaths4,400–200,000[7][8]

Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever,[1][2][9] is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes.[5] The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected.[5] Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine.[5] Those who have been infected for a long time may experience liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer.[5] In children, schistosomiasis may cause poor growth and learning difficulties.[5]

Schistosomiasis is spread by contact with fresh water contaminated with parasites.[5] These parasites are released from infected freshwater snails.[5] The disease is especially common among children in underdeveloped and developing countries, because these kids are more likely to play in contaminated water.[5] Schistosomiasis is also common among women, who may have greater exposure through daily chores that involve water, such as washing clothes and fetching water.[10] Other high-risk groups include farmers, fishermen, and people using unclean water during daily living.[5] Schistosomiasis belongs to the group of helminth infections.[11] Diagnosis is made by finding the parasite’s eggs in a person's urine or stool.[5] It can also be confirmed by finding antibodies against the disease in the blood.[5]

Methods of preventing the disease include improving access to clean water and reducing the number of snails.[5] In areas where the disease is common, the medication praziquantel may be given once a year to the entire group.[5] This is done to decrease the number of people infected, and consequently, the spread of the disease.[5] Praziquantel is also the treatment recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for those who are known to be infected.[5]

Schistosomiasis affected about 236.6 million people worldwide in 2019.[12] An estimated 4,400 to 200,000 people die from it each year.[7][8] The disease is most commonly found in Africa, Asia, and South America.[5] Around 700 million people, in more than 70 countries, live in areas where the disease is common.[7][13] In tropical countries, schistosomiasis is second only to malaria among parasitic diseases with the greatest economic impact.[14] Schistosomiasis is listed as a neglected tropical disease.[15]

  1. ^ a b "Schistosomiasis (bilharzia)". NHS Choices. 17 December 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Schistosomiasis". Patient.info. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  3. ^ "schistosomiasis - definition of schistosomiasis in English from the Oxford dictionary". OxfordDictionaries.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  4. ^ "schistosomiasis". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Schistosomiasis Fact sheet N°115". World Health Organization. 3 February 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  6. ^ Vos T, Allen C, Arora M, Barber RM, Bhutta ZA, Brown A, et al. (GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators) (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
  7. ^ a b c Thétiot-Laurent SA, Boissier J, Robert A, Meunier B (July 2013). "Schistosomiasis chemotherapy". Angewandte Chemie. 52 (31): 7936–56. doi:10.1002/anie.201208390. PMID 23813602.
  8. ^ a b Vos T, Allen C, Arora M, Barber RM, Bhutta ZA, Brown A, et al. (GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators) (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31012-1. PMC 5388903. PMID 27733281.
  9. ^ Colley DG, Bustinduy AL, Secor WE, King CH (June 2014). "Human schistosomiasis". Lancet. 383 (9936): 2253–64. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61949-2. PMC 4672382. PMID 24698483.
  10. ^ Trienekens SC, Faust CL, Meginnis K, Pickering L, Ericsson O, Nankasi A, Moses A, Tukahebwa EM, Lamberton PH (2020-05-13). "Impacts of host gender on Schistosoma mansoni risk in rural Uganda—A mixed-methods approach". PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 14 (5): e0008266. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0008266. ISSN 1935-2735. PMC 7219705. PMID 32401770.
  11. ^ "Chapter 3 Infectious Diseases Related To Travel". cdc.gov. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  12. ^ "Schistosomiasis". www.who.int. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  13. ^ "Schistosomiasis A major public health problem". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  14. ^ The Carter Center. "Schistosomiasis Control Program". Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  15. ^ "Neglected Tropical Diseases". cdc.gov. 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.