Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia describes a vector borne parasitic disease caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosomes.
- it is second only to malaria in importance among the parasitic diseases
- affects more than 230 million people worldwide with close 800 million people at risk of infection
Exposure to contaminated water results in Schistosomiasis.
- infection is usually acquired through activities such as swimming, bathing, fishing, farming, and washing clothes.
- once the parasites penetrates the skin, the adult male and female worms live and reproduce sexually within the veins of their human host (1,2)
- in perivesicular venules - S haematobium
- in mesenteric venules - S mansoni, S japonicum, and others
There are 3 main species of schistosomes that can infect humans: Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni, and Schistosoma japonicum (1)
- S haematobium and S mansoni are seen in Africa and the Middle East
- S mansoni is present in the Americas
- S japonicum is localised to Asia, primarily the Philippines and China (1)
In addition to these main three species, several locally distributed species are also responsible for human disease:
- Schistosoma mekongi - in the Mekong River basin in Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos).
- Schistosoma guineensis and Schistosoma intercalatum - in west and central Africa (1)
There are two main forms of schitomiasis:
- urinary schistosomiasis
- caused by Schistosoma haematobium
- mainly affects the bladder, ureters and kidneys
- intestinal schistosomiasis
- caused by S. mansoni and S. japonicum
- mainly affects the liver and spleen and causes intestinal damage and hypertension of the abdominal blood vessels (3).
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