Schistosomiasis: What is it and What is The Current Status?

Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease caused by a parasite that is carried by freshwater snails. The disease is currently prevalent in over 78 countries. It is transmitted when skin comes in contact with freshwater that has contaminated snails. The larvae from these snails infect the person and get into the bloodstream, where they are able to reproduce. Some of the parasites are able to pass through the body in urine, but the rest of the parasites take over internal organs (Global Network, 2015). This life cycle can be seen in figure 1.

The symptoms of intestinal schistosomiasis are enlargement of the liver and spleen and fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity. This can make the abdomen very sore and bowel movements painful with frequent diarrhoea and blood in the stool. This swelling of the abdomen gives the characteristic look of an infected person (fig. 2). It is hard to calculate accurately, but there are roughly 20,000 to 200,000 deaths per year as a result of schistosomiasis (WHO, 2016). This number is hard to accurately confirm because many cases go untreated or unaccounted for. Additionally, many people with Schistosomiasis can also be infected by another parasite, making the cause of death more difficult to label.  

There is a medication available to treat schistosomiasis, but there is no vaccine available. The best way to prevent the disease is to avoid wading or swimming in freshwater within a country that is known to have infected snails. Also, filtering of all water for drinking and bathing should be taken very seriously. Boiling water or filtering are both good options, but must be done (CDC, 2012). Currently, the disease has been contained to Africa, but controlling it further has been a real challenge. As the countries with infected snails try to develop their agricultural techniques and meet the demands of a growing population, staying on top of the infected water situation has been difficult. As a result, increased transmission of the disease has actually been occurring (Chitsulo et al., 2000).  Studies are being done looking at new and more attainable treatment options. The standard method of treatment is effective, but difficult for many with the disease to obtain. More work needs to be done to effectively control this disease, both with transmission and with cures (Masaku et al., 2015).

Figure 1: Life Cycle of Schistosomiasis: CDC

Figure 2: Enlarged Abdomen

Works Cited:

“Schistosomiasis.” Global Network |. N.p., 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. <http://www.globalnetwork.org/schistosomiasis>.

Chitsulo, L., and D. Engels. “The Global Status of Schistosomiasis and Its Control.” The Global Status of Schistosomiasis and Its Control. N.p., 23 Oct. 2000. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001706X00001224>.

“Schistosomiasis.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/>.

“Prevention & Control.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/prevent.html>.

Masaku, Janet, Nancy Madigu, and Collins Okoyo. “Current Status of Schistosoma Mansoni and the Factors Associated with Infection Two Years following Mass Drug Administration Programme among Primary School Children in Mwea Irrigation Scheme: A Cross-sectional Study.”BMC Public Health. N.p., 1 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. <http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1991-z>.